Sourdough Cornbread with Jalapeno & Fresh Corn

I created a recipe for Sourdough Cornbread with jalapenos and fresh corn. because August is the perfect time to play with peppers, all sorts of peppers; sweet, hot, pickled, black, it’s all good. 

a loaf of sourdough cornbread

I love to bake hot peppers into bread. The starch in the bread tames the chili heat just enough to let the flavor of the particular pepper come through.

This bread would also be delicious made with habanero, or any other hot or sweet pepper. I just happened to have a bunch of jalapenos in the refrigerator from our farm share so that what I used.

If you don’t have one, check out my post to learn How to Make a Sourdough Starter. Then check out my system to Feed and Maintain Sourdough Starter.

Scroll through the step-by-step photos to see how to make Sourdough Cornbread:

a grated onion on a red cutting board
Use the small side of a grater to make the onion pulp. You could also puree the onion in a small food processor.

rolling the filling into sourdough cornbread
Roll the fillings into the dough

forming sourdough cornbread into a twist
Cut the log in half and pinch the ends closed. Twist the two pieces together to form a twisted loaf.

a loaf of sourdough cornbread
Let the bread rise again.

The flavors in this bread are just natural together. Peppers and corn are both in season, and everything is better with cheese, right? I added the cumin seeds because, well, because I just love them.

This is not a light and airy loaf of bread. Adding cornmeal and onion puree to the dough makes a hearty loaf. This is not a “cornbread” so much as a sourdough bread with corn added two ways, cornmeal and fresh corn.

a sliced loaf of sourdough cornbread on a cutting board

a loaf of sourdough cornbread

You can eat this bread without any condiments at all. With the corn, cheese and jalapeno filling, it’s a snack all by itself. I ate a slice of Sourdough Cornbread with a beautiful summer tomato salad and it was a perfectly satisfying summer meal.

Spice up your sourdough bread with Jalapeno peppers. This hearty loaf needs no condiments. It's a snack-worthy bread. #Breadbakers

I know you hate to throw away that sourdough discard. Check out these recipes that use sourdough discard.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please consider leaving a 5-star review.

sourdough cornbread
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4.69 from 16 reviews

Sourdough Cornbread Recipe

A hearty sourdough bread made with fresh corn, jalapeno peppers and cheese. It's a snack all by itself. Makes 2 large loaf.
Prep Time30 minutes
Bake Time25 minutes
Rising Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 55 minutes
12 servings
Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 8 oz active sourdough starter (1 cup, 100% hydration)
  • 8 oz warm water (1 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ oz honey (1 tablespoon)
  • 12 ½ oz all purpose flour (2 ½ cups, see note)
  • 4 oz cornmeal (1 cup)
  • 1 small onion (grated)
  • 2 Jalapeno peppers (minced)
  • 4 oz cheddar cheese (grated)
  • 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
  • 1 egg (for egg wash)

Instructions

  • Combine 8 oz active sourdough starter, 8 oz warm water, 1 teaspoon salt and ¾ oz honey in a mixing bowl. Mix with beater on medium speed to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour and mix for 1 minute on medium speed.
  • With the mixer running on low speed, add 4 oz cornmeal and 1 small onion. Switch to the dough hook. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough gathers around the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl.
  • You can mix the dough by hand starting with a wooden spoon and switching to your hands when the dough gets too thick to stir.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few times to create a smooth ball. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat the dough.
  • After 60 minutes uncover the bowl, lift one side of the dough and fold it into the middle of the dough. Repeat with the other three sides of the dough then flip the dough over. You're basically turning the dough inside-out to redistribute the yeast. Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes repeat the procedure again.
  • Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes turn the dough one more time. By now the dough should be lively, elastic and airy. If the dough is still sluggish give it another hour or two at room temperature.
  • Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface (don't knead) and gently stretch to a 16"x8" rectangle. Brush the entire surface of the bread with egg wash and sprinkle the dough with 4 oz cheddar cheese, 1 cup corn kernels, 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds and 2 Jalapeno peppers. From the long end, tightly roll the dough into a log, pinch the seam to seal.
  • Use your palms to gently roll the log to 24" long. Cut the log in 1/2 and flip the two ends so that there is a cut and uncut end on each side of the loaf. Use your fingers to pinch the cut ends closed.
  • Twist the two logs together to form twisted loaf, folding the uncut ends over the cut ends to seal in the filling
  • Set the loaf on a wooden peel sprinkled with cornmeal, or sheet pan sprinkled heavily with cornmeal or lined with parchment paper. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with baking spray and cover the dough. Allow the loaf to rise about 1 – 1 1/2 hours until the dough springs back slowly when poked.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 °F, place a baking stone in the oven if you have one. Brush the surface of the bread with egg wash and sprinkle with cumin seeds.
  • Slide the loaf onto the preheated baking stone (or slide the sheet pan into the oven).
  • Bake until the loaf is nicely browned and the center of the loaf reaches 200 °F, about 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

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Notes

If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 146IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!

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Thanks so much Sue Slusser Lau of Palatable Pastime for hosting today’s event. Check out these other Peppery and delicious bread recipes:

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Recipe Rating




18 Comments

  1. Hi there. This recipe looks great. I was wondering could this be made without the onions, peppers. I was looking to just make a sourdough cornbread.

  2. Superb! Not usualy a cornbread fan, but this bread is absolutely a winner. I used frozen corn (thawed under running water) but it was still cold enough that the bread actually needed an extra 12 minutes in the oven. Next time I’ll take the corn out of the freezer much sooner.

  3. Eileen, I’m getting ready to make this recipe, and unless I missed it, could you please give me an approximate time to bake? I know it says brown and hollow, but I need an idea of length of time to keep watch and monitor. Also, I am going to use a can of diced green chilies, since my husband isn’t a jalapeño lover:).

    1. The time is listed at the top of the recipe card. It takes about 25 minutes to bake. I’ve added the time in the description as well.

  4. So glad to see a sourdough bread in the #BreadBakers breads this month! Looks delicious, love the use of cornmeal and corn kernels.

  5. The bread simply looks so tempting. Love how you have used fresh white corn, Saved the recipe so I can experiment with my sourdough starter.

  6. Hello Eileen, I am completely bowled over by your bread. Peppers and corn are in season here too and, I was on a look out for a recipe where I could use corn. Your post came at the right time. The stuffing sounds so delicious. Thanks for sharing! And yes, your pictures too are delicious 🙂

  7. 4 stars
    Isnt that a fabulously wonderful bread, Eileen :)) I havent got around to baking (or making ) sourdough bread (the starter sounds soooo complicated to me !!

    this spicy chilly bread is definitely calling out to me – for me the best part was how the rolls are twisted :))

  8. I love that you filled the dough rather then just mixing the extra ingredients in with it, Eileen. Turned out so pretty and I am sure, absolutely delicious!