> Sourdough Discard Jalapeño Cornbread
Born at 2am when my discard jar was judging me and the only open store had pickled jalapeños. Added fresh corn because I impulse-grilled it earlier while procrastinating on chapter 4. The cobanero was a midnight decision that my sinuses still haven't forgiven.
$ ingredients.list --dry
- 120g Cornmeal - 1 cup, medium grind best
- 60g All-Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
- 5g Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon
- 3g Baking Soda - 1/2 teaspoon
- 4g Salt - 1/2 teaspoon, Diamond Crystal
- 2g Cobanero Chili - 1/2 teaspoon, Burlap & Barrel (life-changing)
$ ingredients.list --wet
- 200g Sourdough Discard - about 1 cup, unfed chaos energy
- 240ml Buttermilk - 1 cup, or milk + vinegar at 2am
- 1 Large Egg - room temp if you planned ahead (I didn't)
- 60g Melted Butter - 4 tbsp, cultured butter if fancy
- 15g Honey - 1 tbsp only, corn adds sweetness
$ ingredients.list --chaos
- 2 Corn Cobs - grilled earlier, kernels cut off (~1.5 cups)
- 2-3 Fresh Jalapeños - diced, seeds optional (coward mode)
- 2 Pickled Jalapeños - corner store special, chopped
- 30g Red Onion - finely grated on microplane (trust me)
- 60g Sharp Cheddar - optional but why not, cubed small
$ required.tools
- Cast Iron Skillet - 10-12 inch, Lodge classic or vintage find
- Large Mixing Bowl - vintage collection or Sori Yanagi
- Microplane - for onion alchemy, this one
- Digital Scale - because 2am math is hard
- Courage - for cobanero levels
$ ./make_cornbread.sh
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Put cast iron skillet in oven while heating.
- Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl. Yes, including the cobanero. Breathe carefully.
- In another bowl, whisk discard, buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and honey until smooth. The discard will be cranky about mixing. Persist.
- Grate red onion directly over wet ingredients. Your eyes will water. Blame the thesis, not the onion.
- Pour wet into dry. Mix JUST until combined. Lumps are friends.
- Fold in corn kernels, fresh jalapeños, pickled jalapeños, and cheese if using. Distribution will be chaotic. This is correct.
- Carefully remove hot skillet from oven. Add 1 tbsp butter to sizzle.
- Pour batter into hot skillet. It should sizzle aggressively. This is the sound of success.
- Bake 22-25 minutes until golden and center springs back. Or until you can't wait anymore.
- Cool for 10 minutes if you have self-control. Serve with more butter and regret nothing.
$ cat notes.txt
> First attempt used 1 tsp cobanero. RIP taste buds 2024-2024
> Pickled + fresh jalapeños create flavor complexity at 2am
> Costs ~$2.50 to make vs $8 for bougie coffee shop slice
> Pairs with: cold milk, existential dread, chapter rewrites
> Freezes well for emergency thesis fuel
> Red onion microplane trick from 3am desperation. Now essential.
> Corn can be swapped for frozen if you didn't procrastinate-grill