The corn light bread is a floury, sweet loaf that can be traced back to the early nineteenth century in Appalachia and is today almost an exclusive specialty of central Tennessee and particularly Nashville.
Makes 2 loaves
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups yellow cornmeal (preferably waterground)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 11⁄2 teaspoons salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups regular buttermilk
- 1⁄4 cup vegetable shortening, melted
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preparing the loaf pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 11⁄2-quart loaf pans with butter and set them aside.
- Mixing and baking the cornbread batter: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the buttermilk and melted shortening to the dry ingredients. Stir the batter until well blended and smooth. Scrape equal amounts of batter into the two prepared loaf pans. Bake in the preheated oven until the bread pulls away from the sides of the pans and turns golden, which should take about 45 minutes.
- Cooling and serving: Once baked, transfer the cornbread loaves to a cooling rack and let them cool before slicing. Enjoy the delicious cornbread either plain or with your favorite toppings.
