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Thanksgiving recipe: Gluten-free cornbread

 I hope this helps you to get reacquainted with an old favourite during Thanksgiving, a gluten-free recipe for something you may not have realized contains gluten: corn bread.

Traditional corn bread is mostly corn, but also contains a fair portion of wheat flour, and hence the gluten. Fixing this is very simple.  The first change I make is to swap half of the corn meal for corn flour. Because it is finer than corn meal, the corn flour can help take away some of the grittiness. Of course, corn bread is always gritty. That’s part of the idea. However, the wheat flour is usually there to mitigate that grittiness. Without something doing that job, you end up with something far too dry and crumbly. To that end, I like to substitute the wheat flour with rice flour. The result is a cornbread which is perhaps a little bit drier than your traditional cornbread, but which is also cornier in flavour.

As a variation, try adding cheese. Cheddar, Swiss, or even parmesan go very well with the sweetness of corn, plus add another layer of texture to the bread.

I also like adding fresh chives or diced red pepper to the batter. They add both colour and flavour.

Gluten-free corn bread

  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup corn flour
  • ½ cup rice flour
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk or yogurt
  • ½ cup frozen corn
  1. Preheat your oven to 375F and grease an 8-inch baking pan. Combine the first six ingredients in a food processor until they are well-blended. Add the butter and pulse until it has the texture of fine bread crumbs.

  2.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until they are an even consistency and pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the center is visibly cooked through. Cool, cut, and enjoy.

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