Can I make the Cornbread batter early and bake it later?

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pcheftina

Assistant Cook
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
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22
Location
Palm Springs, Florida
Does anyone out there know. We are having Chili and cornbread for dinner tonite and I'd like to get all the prep stuff out of the way now. If I make the cornbread batter now, can I bake it this evening when we come home from church and are ready to eat??
 
I do not like to pre-mix recipes that use baking powder. For pancakes, I will frequently mix the dry and wet ingredients separately the night before and not combine them until the last minute.
 
I don't recommend it because you could end up with a cornbread hockey puck. You run the risk of having your leavening agents deteriorate. I suggest you do as jet said, then it should only take a couple of minutes to combine the wet and dry ingredients and put the batter into your pan. It'll probably take longer to preheat your oven than to mix the cornbread.
 
Thanks, Uncle Bob. That's what I thought, but my hubby was trying to make it easier for me for tonite. Have a merry christmas and I look forward to taking your advice again in the future!!
 
Thanks, Uncle Bob. That's what I thought, but my hubby was trying to make it easier for me for tonite. Have a merry christmas and I look forward to taking your advice again in the future!!

You are welcome Ma'am! Come in from Church, go straight to the kitchen, and turn on the stove, change clothes, and stir up your cornbread!

Enjoy & Merry Christmas!!!!
 
If you're really in a hurry, make the cornbread batter at the last minute and cook them as little cornpones on your griddle. My kids like it that way. Another way to hurry the process is to make the cornbread in muffin tins which cook much quicker. Definitely though just mix it together at the last minute. The leavening action goes away after a little while.
 
i know i'm too late here, but:

you don't want to make the batter beforehand because the baking powder would be releasing bubbles the whole time it's waiting.

but just as good timewise would be to go ahead and mix your dry ingredients, have your butter melted if that's what you're using, and your pan/tins/mold greased (and floured?)and ready to go.

in the time it takes to preheat your oven, you can mix your egg, butter and milk, make the batter and get it in the pans.

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There are 2 types of Baking Powder. The one you will have is most likely Single Acting baking powder. If mixed earily it will be set off by the lactic acid in the milk and lose most of its levening (rise) properties. The Double acting Baking Powder is only set off by heat! If you were using this type you could mix ahead of schedule and keep in a cool place. We use Double Acting Baking Powder in pancakes because we can mix at 4:00 AM, serve breakfast all day, put the mix in the refrige and use the balance of it the following day.
 
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double action

If I'm not mistaken, I'm thinking that Double Action baking powder indicates that it works first like single action, in that one of the ingredients starts to work as soon as the batter is mixed, and then the other part of the powder sets to work with the heat as you indicated. .
At least that's the way I've always thought it worked. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
If I'm not mistaken, I'm thinking that Double Action baking powder indicates that it works first like single action, in that one of the ingredients starts to work as soon as the batter is mixed, and then the other part of the powder sets to work with the heat as you indicated. .
At least that's the way I've always thought it worked. Correct me if I'm wrong.


This is correct. Double acting, as its name indicates, acts twice. Once with the addition of a liquid and again with the application of heat.

No batter with baking powder (either type) can be mixed for use the next day and produce successful results.
 

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