Brown Butter Rye Cornbread
This Brown Butter Rye Cornbread is a recreation of an outstanding cornbread I had at the restaurant Cotton + Rye in Savannah, Georgia.
This cornbread is layered with flavor. The hazelnut undertones of the brown butter accentuate the natural nuttiness of the rye flour, resulting in a perfectly balanced sweet cornbread that will keep you coming back for more. It is also amazingly tender and moist thanks to buttermilk and just a little bit of avocado oil. Pair this with a simple honey butter, and you have the perfect side or dessert for your meal.
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
Cornbread
1 1/2 cups cornmeal, preferably stone ground
3/4 cup rye flour (I recommend using King Arthur’s)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp avocado oil
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
Honey Butter
1 stick of softened butter
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Method:
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Grease an 8x8 baking dish and set it aside.
Whisk your dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt and brown your butter. This process takes about 5-7 minutes. Once it foams up and smells nutty, stir constantly until you have a nice amber color. Remove from heat and let cool.
Place your cooled brown butter in a large bowl (separate from dry) and whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, oil, eggs, and egg yolk. Pour this into your dry and whisk until just combined—it can be a little lumpy. A dry cornbread comes from over-mixing your batter.
Place your cornbread batter into your prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until your cornbread is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For the honey butter; simply whisk all of the ingredients together vigorously so that it becomes whipped. Alternatively, you could use a hand mixer. Spread onto the warm cornbread and serve right away. Enjoy!
