Dry Cornbread for Cornbread Dressing
A lean, low-moisture cornbread baked thin in a jelly roll pan to produce fast-drying, evenly textured crumbs ideal for cornbread dressing, but absolutely not good for eating out-of-hand.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Dry:
- 4 cups plain cornmeal
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Wet:
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cups milk
- 4 Tbsp oil
Instructions
Dry:
- Whisk cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper.
Wet:
- Whisk eggs, milk, oil.
- Combine Wet with Dry.
- Line jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly oil.
- Spread batter thin across pan.
- Bake in 425°F preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until surface is dry and lightly golden.
- Cool completely.
- Break into pieces and crumble by hand to medium-fine texture.
- Spread crumbs on pan and dry in 200°F oven for 45 minutes, stirring once.
Notes
Baking cornbread thin in a jelly roll pan increases surface area, which accelerates drying and prevents thick, moist centers.
Plain cornmeal creates a clean, savory base without flour or sugar that would contribute unwanted softness.
Eggs provide structural integrity for consistent, medium-fine crumbling.
Reduced liquid promotes a firm bake with quick, predictable drying.
Oil prevents greasy or cake-like texture while avoiding brittle hardening.
Hand-crumbling achieves a uniform texture ideal for dressing.
Although reducing moisture is the primary goal, eliminating eggs, milk, or oil creates an unstable bake that becomes either powdery or sharply brittle. Each wet ingredient plays a functional role: eggs supply structure, a small amount of milk hydrates the cornmeal sufficiently for proper starch gelatinization, and vegetable oil provides controlled tenderness without softness.
Nutrition Summary (per serving)
Net Carbs 50g
Carbs 60g
Fiber 10g
Calories 418kcal
Fat 14g
Sugar 1g
Protein 12g