Baking in CI...to preheat or not to preheat...

If you mean the dutch oven method, yes. You're trying to generate steam in the enclosed pot to simulate steam-injected commercial ovens. The pot needs to be preheated in order to do that.

If cornbread in a skillet or muffin pan, yes also.
 
I was thinking about the Korn Kobs and Turks Head pans. The first time I tried the Korn Kobs pan, the batter was sizzling as I loaded it in, and the corn bread didn't come out as intact as I'd hoped. OK, it actually stuck pretty bad! I was really looking forward to the nicely-molded finished product. Maybe I just need a bit more oil next time?
 
Baking recipes for gem pans and cake molds I've used call for having them in while pre-heating the oven. Generally, I preheat skillets for everything except bacon. For bacon, that goes in the cold skillet.
 
this is what we do...make your batter with out the oil.
pour the oil into your ci pan, heat it up in the oven..NOT THE STOVE TOP
pour the oil into the batter,,mix with fork "quickly" pour into pan, pop into oven
thats how G-ma taught me!!!
 
Depends on what I'm cooking.

My grandmother's cornbread recipe calls for preheating the skillet in the oven to melt the shortening. I like to get it good and hot before adding it so the edges are extra crispy.
If I'm searing something, I preheat it.
I've made it without preheating and it's still good.
 
If I'm making corn bread, I preheat the pan in the oven, and melt the butter in the pan at the same time. I add a little extra butter beyond what the recipe calls for :chuckle:. I mix all the other ingredients together, and then at the last minute, pour most of the melted butter in the batter. I swirl the last T in the pan until it is well-coated, and pour the batter in. Gives a lovely, crisp crust! When I use my corn stick pan, I generously brush melted butter into each section of the preheated pan just before pouring in the batter.
 
Thank you Angie!

I have one of the corn stick pans and I was wondering the right way to cook cornbread in it. Now I know Thanks again:)
 
You have seen the previous thread:

I'm not much of a cook, but I tried this recipe last night and the corn sticks were wonderful. Perfect for 7 stick corn stick pans...

Grandma’s Corn Pones
Makes 7 corn bread sticks

Ingredients:
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400F.
Generously grease corn pone pan with shortening and place in oven while it preheats.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, combine milk, egg, and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Pour all batter evenly into hot pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 400F.
Serve warm with butter and honey.
 
Depends on what I'm cooking.

My grandmother's cornbread recipe calls for preheating the skillet in the oven to melt the shortening. I like to get it good and hot before adding it so the edges are extra crispy.
If I'm searing something, I preheat it.
I've made it without preheating and it's still good.

Same here--my recipe came from my paternal grandmother around the turn of the century--1900 or before. She was using a wood burning stove at the time. Dad was the middle child of 9--he was born in 1909.
 
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