Southern spoon bread is similar to cornbread, but it’s more custard-like in texture. In fact, it’s so soft that it’s served with a spoon. It is thought to have originated with Native Americans, and was called “owendaw” in earlier recipe collections and cookbooks, and hominy (grits) was a common ingredient. The Carolina Housewife cookbook (1851) has a recipe for owendaw made with hominy grits, butter, eggs, cornmeal, and milk.
PrintSouthern Spoon Bread
Enjoy the creamy goodness of Southern spoon bread. This traditional dish is soft, custard-like, and served with a spoon.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Bread
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white cornmeal
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 F.
- Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
- Combine salt and cornmeal. Add slowly to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add the butter and stir to blend. Remove the pan from the heat; transfer to a mixing bowl and let it cool to lukewarm.
- Combine vinegar and milk and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Add 1 1/2 cup of milk mixture to cornmeal mixture; blend well.
- Add eggs and stir to blend.
- Dissolve the baking soda in the remaining 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and then add it to the cornmeal mixture; stir until well blended.
- Pour the batter into a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake at for about 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately with a spoon.
