The Dairy Tip You Need For Crustier Cornbread Muffins
Whether from the box or made entirely from scratch, a cornbread muffin can really hit the spot, especially when paired with a hearty bowl of chili or barbecue fresh off the grill. Because cornbread gets its flavor primarily from simple ingredients like corn and butter, the texture stands out a lot more. Cornbread muffins that are soft can be tasty, but ones that are slightly crumbly and crusty on the outside tend to be more satisfying.
An easy way to achieve this, Pantry and Larder shares, is to shallow fry the cornbread for 30 seconds in a cast iron skillet after it's finished baking. A much more effective method, however, involves substituting a key ingredient. While cornmeal is the key component in any cornbread recipe, the liquid you include in the batter is just as important when it comes to texture. For guaranteed crispy edges, you'll want to swap the milk or water for something else: cultured dairy.
What does cultured dairy do in cornbread muffins?
You may have never heard the term cultured dairy before, but chances are you've used it plenty of times without realizing. Per The Pioneer Woman, cultured dairy is a term that refers to any byproduct of milk and lactic acid, such as sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk, and cream cheese. Cultured dairy functions as a creamy element in many recipes, but its acidity actually has more of an effect on baked goods.
Cornbread can be made without cultured dairy, but according to MasterClass, the ingredient produces a much more favorable texture. The lactic acid combined with the baking soda allows cornbread muffins to rise more effectively, and, that in turn, creates a thicker outer crust that is soft and moist inside. For optimal flavor, Setted recommends using buttermilk when substituting out the liquid in your cornbread recipe. It still works with sour cream, Cooks Dream shares, as long as you dilute it. Per the blog's instructions, reduce the sour cream by a quarter of its original amount, then add the equivalent amount of water back in.
Temperature makes a difference, too
Cultured dairy can make cornbread muffins extra crusty, but if you don't use the right oven temperature, they can turn out inedible, Baking Kneads notes. Crank the heat up too much and the cornbread will form a crust that's hard with a raw middle instead of crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. But if the temperature is too low, the muffins won't rise well, either.
The solution, according to Deep South Dish, is to set the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and leave the muffin tin in as it preheats. Traditional cornbread is often made in a hot cast iron skillet to guarantee crispy edges (via Leftovers Then Breakfast), but this effect is hard to replicate when making cornbread in the form of muffins. Unless you actually have a cast iron muffin pan, preheating your muffin tin is the best course of action. This combined with the cultured milk substitution guarantees that you'll end up with perfect crusty cornbread muffins every time.