When you bake cornbread, it rises depending on the amount of baking powder and baking soda that you use. When you make the batter, bubbles are created which also lead to rising. If you add too much leavening, it will cause the bread to rise very quickly and then fall in the center.
If you are searching for delicious, tasty Southern food, then Cornbread is a definite win. With a strong history in Native American history, the delicious cornbread has been around for quite a while.
Over the passage of time, the ingredients have changed along with the cooking methods but the bread itself remains the same. Cornbread made with tasty cornmeal remains the staple food for many Americans.
When you bake cornbread, it can either rise too much or too little. Let us see what makes cornbread rise, how much it rises, how to keep it from sinking in the center, and a lot more!
Why Cornbread Rises
Apart from mixing the ingredients correctly, there are a lot of things that affect the texture of the cornbread.
- Leavening Agent
Leavening agents are important ingredients for baking cakes, biscuits, cookies, and bread. There are two types of leavening agents – chemical and biological. Cornbread is baked as a quick bread.
This means that it takes a very short time to prepare it. Since yeast takes very long to rise, it is not a suitable leavening agent for cornbread. Baking powder reacts with acidic liquid – buttermilk in the case of cornbread – and produces CO2.
This results in air bubbles and your batter expands during baking. When you bake cornbread, it rises. The typical cornbread recipes contain baking soda and baking powder as leavening agents along with yeast.
When you are making the cornbread batter, bubbles are created in it. This aerated effect helps the cornbread to rise. The leavening agents allow the baked goods to rise through the pockets of air that are formed within the batter.
They create a gas, usually hydrogen or carbon dioxide. These air pockets allow the loaf to rise & become fluffy and light. If you add too much of the leavening agents, the bread will grow too quickly.
As a result, in the center, your cornbread will have a cone shape while you are baking it. When the bread is baked, this cone will sink. To make sure that you have a perfectly risen, fluffy cornbread, you have to add the correct amount of baking soda and baking powder.
- Oven Time and Temperature
The heat from the oven will cause the baking powder to react with the ingredients of the batter. Therefore, it will create more air bubbles and the bread will rise. It is important that you set the right temperature so that the cornbread can rise before the solid structure is formed.
Bake the cornbread from 375 degrees Fahrenheit to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is not right, the cornbread will rise but will fall flat from the center later on. The baking time is another important factor that will affect the texture of your cornbread.
- Allow the Batter to Rest
You need to give the leavening agents time to work their magic. Once you have combined all the ingredients, you need to let the batter rest for 15 to 20 minutes. This will allow the leavening agents to create enough gas in the cornbread batter to help it rise ideally.
How High Will Your Cornbread Rise?
Now that you know that cornbread rises, the million-dollar question is – how high does cornbread rise. It is pertinent to know that cornbread will not double in its size and your pan will not become insufficient to hold it.
When you are baking regular bread, it will rise almost 30% of its original size. While baking it, you watch and see how much the bread has risen to know whether it is done. This is not the case with cornbread.
It will rise slightly during the baking process as it becomes solid. Baking soda & baking powder will also help the cornbread to rise. The bubbles in the bread will allow it to expand. You will not know when the cornbread is done by looking at how high it rises.
You will know that it is done by the golden color that will be visible on the top. Insert a toothpick in the center of the baked cornbread to see if it is baked all the way through.
What to Do to Make the Cornbread Correctly
Although cornbread does not rise a lot, you do need a sufficient amount of rising. Too little, and the cornbread will be hard and dense to eat. Too much, and the cornbread will end up sinking in the middle.
Whatever recipe you are using, make sure that you are following it perfectly. Here are tips to ensure that your cornbread rises perfectly.
- Be Concise
When you are measuring the leavening agents, be concise. You don’t have to add more than the stipulated amount in the recipe. Measure the baking soda and baking powder concisely. Before adding them to the batter mix, level off the baking soda and baking powder from your spoon.
Like any other recipe, adding a sprinkle of love makes the dish delicious and amazing. When it comes to cornbread, the love you need to add is the careful consideration and concentration for the number of ingredients you need to add.
- Move the Batter to the Edges
You need to move the batter to the edges of your baking pan. The center of the cornbread rises more as compared to the outer edges. To keep this from happening, use a spoon to shift the cornbread batter towards the outer edges.
- Do Not Overmix the Cornbread Batter
It is very tempting to mix the batter until all of the lumps are gone when you mix the ingredients. When you are making cornbread, this is a bad idea. The lumps can stay when you are making the cornbread batter.
You only have to fold the mixture until all the ingredients are combined thoroughly. If you mix the batter, your bread will get much denser than you would like.
FAQs for How Much Does Cornbread Rise
Can cornbread rise without eggs?
Yes, you can make your cornbread without eggs as well. You can use yogurt instead of eggs to keep your bread moist and fluffy.
For how long does cornbread need to rest before you can have it?
Let the cornbread rest in the skillet for about 10 minutes. This not only allows it to cook but lets it cool as well.
