The Best Sourdough Cornbread You’ll Ever Bake
If you love classic cornbread but wish it had just a little more personality, let me introduce you to sourdough cornbread—the golden, crumbly, slightly tangy skillet bread you’ll want to make on repeat. This recipe is the perfect mash-up of Southern comfort and homestead-style sourdough goodness. It uses your sourdough discard or active starter to create a richer flavor, a fluffier crumb, and that amazing crispy edge we all dream about.
Whether you serve it with a bowl of chili, turn it into holiday stuffing, or drizzle it with honey and butter straight from the oven (no judgment), sourdough cornbread is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to put your starter to work.
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Why You’ll Love Sourdough Cornbread
- It’s foolproof. No fancy techniques—just mix, pour, bake.
- Great use for sourdough discard. That tangy flavor fits cornbread perfectly.
- It gets the BEST crispy edges when baked in a hot cast-iron skillet.
- Naturally more flavorful. The sourdough adds depth without making it taste “sour.”
What You Need
- Yellow cornmeal (stone-ground if you can find it!)
- All-purpose flour
- Sourdough starter (active or discard)
- Eggs
- Butter
- Milk
- Sugar
- Baking powder + baking soda
- Salt
The sourdough starter adds moisture and a slightly tangy flavor, giving the cornbread a more tender crumb compared to traditional recipes.
How to Make Sourdough Cornbread
- Preheat your skillet. Place a stick of butter in your cast-iron skillet and place in the oven while it heats to 400 degrees. This creates crispy edges!
- Mix dry ingredients in one bowl: cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Mix wet ingredients in another: eggs, starter, sugar, and milk.
- Combine wet + dry until just mixed (don’t overmix!).
- Add butter to the mix. When it melts and slightly browns, remove the skillet, swirl butter to coat sides of the pan, and pour into your batter. CAREFUL! It’s hot!
- Add batter to the pan. Pour the batter into the hot pan and place back in the oven.
- Bake until golden, risen, and lightly crackled on top.
Let it cool for a few minutes, but honestly… warm cornbread never lasts long enough to fully cool.
Delicious Ways to Serve Sourdough Cornbread
- With chili, of course
- Alongside holiday dinners
- Crumbled into cornbread stuffing
- As a base for honey-butter shortcakes
- Topped with jam, maple syrup, or a fried egg
It’s also amazing the next morning: slice it, pan-fry it in butter, and enjoy the world’s best cornbread toast.
Why Sourdough Makes It Better
Sourdough isn’t just for bread bakers anymore. Adding starter to cornbread means:
- More moisture
- Better flavor
- Slight fermentation benefits
- A fluffier, tender crumb
- A perfect tang to balance sweetness
It’s the cornbread upgrade you didn’t know you needed.
If you’ve been looking for a fun, cozy way to use your sourdough starter, this sourdough cornbread belongs at the top of your list. It’s golden, comforting, and incredibly easy—plus it pairs with just about every fall or winter recipe you love.
So heat up your cast-iron skillet, grab that jar of starter, and get ready for cornbread magic. Your kitchen is about to smell amazing.
Sourdough Cornbread
Equipment
- cast iron skillet (10-inch), or baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup fed sourdough or discard
- 1/3 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup for sweeter version)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 stick butter (8 tbsp)
Instructions
- Place stick of butter in a cast iron skillet and place into a cold oven. Turn oven to 425 degrees.
- Allow butter to melt and turn brown in color, about 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, and sourdough. Mix well until fully incorporated.
- In another bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until well combined (do not overmix).
- Carefully remove pan from oven. Brush sides of pan with the melted butter. Pour remaining butter into the cornbread mixture and mix well.
- Pour batter into the hot skillet and return to oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown all over.
- Allow to cool slightly and cut into serving pieces.
