Soft, fluffy, and perfectly crumbly and moist, thissourdough cornbread recipecreates a lightly tart cornbread with the perfect touch of sweetness and grit.

round pan of sourdough cornbread on cutting board

Love cornbread AND sourdough bread? This is the combo recipe of your dreams! It’s super easy and flexible for your baking (and enjoying) pleasure. You should also try mySourdough Starter, and myCornbread!

Okay, my friends. This is peak carb heaven for those of us who are sourdough fans/cornbread fans/bread-in-general fans. (I mean, I’m hoping that’s all of us!) This recipe is pure joy in a skillet. If you like those tart, sour-ish flavors of sourdough and the crumbly, moist, slightly sweet, slightly buttery characteristics ofcornbread... Prepare to have your life changed in the best way by this sourdough cornbread recipe!

I love this recipe so much because it’s totally flexible with your timeline and ingredients. You can use discard for a more sour taste or mature sourdough starter if that’s what you want to use. You can let the dough sit to develop stronger sour flavors, or not if you don’t have the time. It’s really up to you — think of it as a choose your own sourdoughcornbread adventure! And an adventure it will be. 🙂

🍽️ 17 Best Cornbread Recipes Ever!

woman cutting cornbread on cutting board

Ingredients

Sourdough starter:You can use the mature starter for a milder sourdough taste or the discard for stronger sour flavor.

Buttermilk:Buttermilk creates a moist, rich bread. You can make your own buttermilk using milk and vinegar or lemon juice; see the note in the recipe card for more info!

Cornmeal:Cornmeal adds the gritty, granular, golden elements or the cornbread.

Flour:Flour helps all the ingredients come and stay together.

Eggs:Eggs act as a liquid and binder for the dough.

Sugar:Sugar adds that tinge of sweetness necessary in cornbread!

Salt:Salt will help to balance the sour, sweet, and savory flavors.

Butter:Butter is necessary for a rich, warm, moist cornbread flavor and texture.

Baking soda and powder:These baking staples help the bread get nice and fluffy.

See recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities

Tips for the Best Sourdough Cornbread:

There’s not much you can do to mess up sourdough cornbread. Keep these tips and tricks in mind as you bake it!

Use sourdough discard for a stronger sour flavor: This recipe is flexible in that you can use a mature sourdough starter or discard. Using the discard will create a stronger sourdough taste.
You don’t NEED to let the dough rest: It’s optional to allow the sourdough starter, milk, cornmeal, and flour rest for 1 to 2 hours if you want a stronger sour flavor. If your short on time or don’t mind a milder flavor, skip this part.
Use a toothpick to tell when it’s done: Insert a toothpick after the bread has baked for 35 to 40 minutes and it’s golden-brown on top. If it comes out clean, the bread is done.

🍞 18Easy Sourdough Recipes!

What to Serve With This Cornbread:

You can’t go wrong serving sourdough cornbread with simply generous amounts of butter and honey. It’s great plain and simple, just like that. You can also serve it with:

Chunky or spicy soups or stews (chili,chicken tortilla soup, lentil stew etc.)
Barbecued meat (ribs, brisket, orpulled porkare great)
Any Southern dishes (hot chicken, shrimp and grits, etc.)
Eggs andbacon, veggie frittata, or other savory breakfast meals

step by step collage of how to make cornbread

Frequently Asked Questions:

What does sourdough cornbread taste like?

Sourdough cornbread tastes like regular cornbread (soft, moist, crumbly, subtly sweet, buttery, a little grainy) with a sour element to the flavor akin to sourdough bread! To make the sour flavor stronger, let the starter, milk, cornmeal, and flour rest for 1 to 2 hours AND use discard rather than mature starter.You need a sourdough starter and a few more baking ingredients to make sourdough cornbread!

How do I store sourdough cornbread?

You can cover the cornbread dish it baked in once it’s cooled with plastic wrap or foil. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Otherwise, if you’ve cooked it in the cast iron, especially, store in an airtight container for the same amount of time.

Can I freeze sourdough cornbread?

Yes! Cover with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 4 months. To thaw, leave in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave for a minute or in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F