A simple sourdough cornbread recipe made with sourdough discard. Sourdough discard gives this quick bread a great yeasty flavor.
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Gluten Free Sourdough Cornbread
You probably didn’t know you needed another cornbread recipe in your life but here we are. And you definitely need this homemade cornbread because it’s not just any old cornbread.
It’s gluten free cornbread made with sourdough discard and it’s probably the best cornbread recipe I’ve ever had.
The sourdough discard gives this cornbread a distinct yeasty flavor that’s just phenomenal.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
Please, please, please put down your gluten free cornbread mix and give this homemade cornbread recipe a try! I guarantee, it’s easier than you think it is!
Plus, the results you get from this recipe are way better than anything you’d make from a box.
What You Need To Know About This Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe:
I adapted this recipe from my regular gluten free cornbread recipe. I use 1 cup of sourdough discard to replace 1/2 cup gluten-free flour and 1/4 cup milk.
Sourdough Discard Cornbread Ingredients
- Sourdough Discard from a mature gluten-free sourdough starter.
- Gluten-Free Flour – I use my nightshade-free gluten-free flour blend in this recipe with excellent results.
- Xanthan Gum – omit if your flour blend contains it.
- Cornmeal – for best results, use a finely ground cornmeal. If your cornmeal is too coarse, run it through a food processor for a few seconds to grind it finer.
- See below for gluten-free cornmeal options.
- Sugar – a little granulated sugar flavors the cornbread without making it sweet.
- Baking Powder – Always use aluminum-free baking powder when baking. I use Rumford.
- Salt – I use fine sea salt.
- Milk – 2% or whole milk yields the best results. See below for dairy free.
- Oil – I use avocado oil but canola or vegetable oil works great too.
- Egg – use a flax egg for egg-free or your favorite substitute for eggs in baked goods.
Dairy Free Cornbread
To make dairy free cornbread, use unsweetened coconut milk beverage in place of the regular milk. Make this a vegan cornbread by using the dairy-free sub and use a flax egg in place of the regular egg.
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Is cornmeal gluten free?
Cornmeal is made from ground, dried corn, which is a naturally gluten free food. Personally, we use Quaker Cornmeal because we’re not a Celiac family and it’s easy to find. Quaker doesn’t list their product as gluten free because there is a risk of cross-contamination so if you have Celiac Disease, look for cornmeal that’s labeled gluten free.
Arrowhead Mills makes certified gluten free cornmeal and Bob’s Red Mill also makes a gluten free cornmeal separate from their regular cornmeal. Bob’s Red Mill cornmeal is a medium-grind though so be sure to run it through a food processor to make it finer before baking.
Equipment Needed to Make Homemade Cornbread
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups + Measuring Spoons or a Digital Kitchen Scale
- Spatula + Mixing Spoon
- 8×8 Square Baking Pan – I generally use glass or stoneware when making cornbread but a metal baking pan will work great too.
How to Make Cornbread with Sourdough Discard
Step 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray an 8×8 square baking pan with non-stick spray or grease with butter.
Step 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then set aside.
Step 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and egg then whisk in the sourdough discard.
Step 4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely incorporated.
Step 5. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and gently smooth out the top and make sure the batter is evenly distributed in the pan.
Step 6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-24 minutes or until done.
Step 7. Serve warm or room temperature with honey butter or spread with grass-fed butter and a drizzle of honey.
Tips for Making Cornbread from Scratch
- Use finely ground cornmeal for the best texture.
- Use discard from a mature sourdough starter. Your starter should be at least a week old.
- Don’t overmeasure your flour. Too much flour will make your bread dense and dry. Get my free guide to measuring flour here.
- Use a sourdough starter made with 100% hydration (made with equal parts flour and water). Too much flour or water will through off the ratios in this recipe and you can end up with cornbread that’s either too dry or too wet.
Other Gluten-Free Quick Bread Recipes To Try
- Honey Cornbread – from The Gluten-Free Quick Breads Cookbook
- Sourdough Banana Bread (made with sourdough discard)
- Buttermilk Biscuits or my original Gluten Free Biscuit Recipe
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- 15+ Gluten Free Quick Bread Recipes
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Gluten Free Sourdough Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup 105g gluten-free flour (note 1)
- 1 teaspoon 4g xanthan gum
- 3/4 cup 125g cornmeal (note 2)
- 1/4 cup 50g granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons 10g aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon 3g fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup whole milk room temperature (note 3)
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or neutral oil of choice
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 cup 265g sourdough discard (note 4)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray an 8x8 square baking pan with non-stick spray or grease with butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and egg then whisk in the sourdough discard.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and gently smooth out the top and make sure the batter is evenly distributed in the pan.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20-24 minutes or until done.
- Serve warm or room temperature with honey butter or spread with grass-fed butter and a drizzle of honey.
Notes
- I use my Nightshade-Free Gluten Free Flour Blend in this recipe. If your flour blend contains xanthan gum, omit what's called for in the recipe.
- Use gluten free cornmeal. For best results, use a finely ground cornmeal. If yours is coarse, run it through a food processor to make it a bit finer.
- For dairy free, use Silk Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative for the best whole milk sub. You can also use unsweetened coconut milk beverage.
- I used the discard from my starter made with Nightshade Free Flour Blend. Brown rice flour or sorghum starters would also work well in this recipe.
- Store leftovers at room temperature in an air-tight container up to 2 days. Leftovers can also be frozen for up to a month in a freezer-safe bag.
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
Did you make this cornbread recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
I made this cornbread because I had a lot of sourdough discard and didn’t want to just throw it away. GF flour is too expensive to waste. I used Bob’s 1:1 gf baking blend and his medium grind cornmeal, butter instead of oil and allulose instead of sugar with 2 tbsp honey. I also cut back the discard to 200 gm. because I didn’t want a strong sourdough taste. They turned out nice and high and tasted great. Thank you for all the time and effort you put in to develop these recipes.
Thanks so much Sue!
I’ve been a cornbread fiend for nearly 60 years. I’m super picky about cornbread recipes, so I didn’t have high expectations for this; however, THIS is the best, tastiest, most satisfying cornbread I have ever had. I am delighted to find such a great recipe to use up more gluten-free sourdough discard. I think I’m going to be eating a lot of cornbread! Easy and outstanding recipe.
Thanks so much!
Hi, I am new to your page – looks amazing. I need to start from the start —— making the gf sourdough starter!!! Where do I find this information please 🙂
You can get my sourdough starter info here: https://www.whattheforkfoodblog.com/2020/05/10/how-to-make-sourdough-starter-gluten-free/
LOVE this recipe! Just finished late night baking and couldn’t stop screaming, “oh my gosh” in between every bite!
After 3 years of no gluten for allergy reasons, I have been so hungry. As a southerner, I’ve been through some GF cornbread recipes and this is the first recipe I will make again and again with joy. Thank you for that!
It’s one of our favorites too! I almost never make the regular one anymore because this one is just SOO SOOO GOOD!
I like this recipe a lot. The texture is perfect, and the tang from sourdough is interesting. Maybe because of the flour i used, a mix of brown rice, oat, buckwheat and sorghum, the cornbread flavor did not really come through. I also used coconut milk instead of dairy, and ghee instead of oil.
Couldn’t wait to try this recipe and it’s now my favorite one for cornbread! I decided to make them into muffins and the recipe made 12 beautiful, soft & delicious ones.
Thank you for continuing to share all your gluten free recipes.
You’re welcome! My family asks for this cornbread all the time but next time I’ll have to do muffins 🙂