A cross between cornbread and focaccia, can you imagine? This yeasted skillet cornbread focaccia recipe is chewy, hearty and full of flavor, thanks to the star ingredient: fresh sweet corn. No eggs, milk or butter are required in this recipe, so it’s vegan friendly, with no sugar added. I love to add these thick square slices in a bread basket, toasted and warm, or wedged into a bowl of soup or salad as an all-around satisfying accompaniment.
Here’s why I love this recipe
- vegan – no eggs, milk or butter required
- a fun fusion of cornbread and focaccia bread
- healthy AND delicious
- So versatile! A perfect accompaniment to soups and salads, or sliced and served as a sandwich
Ingredients Used to Make Cornbread Focaccia
**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the baking aisle, or the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Bread Flour – I used bread flour for this recipe (I use King Arthur Bread Flour most), which I prefer and highly recommend for the best texture and structure. Please read the note on the substitution section below if using other flours.
- Instant Yeast – you can find instant yeast in the baking section near the flours. My favorite is SAF Instant Premium Yeast, which works quickly and consistently produces great results. I recommend using instant yeast over active yeast for this recipe since active yeast (unlike instant yeast) needs to be activated in water, which we don’t add until the very end.
- Sugar – I used raw cane sugar, but you can use regular granulated white sugar, or healthier alternatives like coconut, date, or maple sugars which are less processed and more natural. I also sometimes like to use honey powder.
- For yeasted breads, I would not recommend using sugar-free substitutes such as monk fruit sweetener or stevia powder since they can cause the bread to not rise properly. If you prefer a lower sugar recipe, you’re welcome to leave out the sugar. The bread might taste slightly plain, but it will not significantly impact the shape or texture of the bread.
- Salt – Pink Himalayan salt is what I have at home, so it’s what I use, but you can use any kind for this recipe.
- Corn – we’ll need whole kernel corn for this recipe. For the focaccia, I used fresh sweet corn, but the corn can be from canned, or thawed from frozen. Read below to see how you should prep the corn depending on which you use:
- Canned Corn – For best results, drain and rinse the corn with water before using. It’s best if you can find a “no salt added” corn. If you’re using regular (salt added) corn, you can also adjust by using just half of the salt that’s called for in the recipe.
- Frozen Corn – cook the frozen corn in the microwave or over stovetop at least until it’s thawed or warm.
- Fresh Corn – Remove the corn kernels from the cob of corn using a sharp knife. Since the corn will be cooked with the bread, there’s no need to pre-cook the corn before using.
- Cooked Corn – no prep required on this one 🙂
- Corn Meal, any kind – in this recipe, the corn meal is optional, since we’re already using a lot of corn puree. The corn meal is just used to add some additional texture, and it can be subbed with equal amounts of bread flour.
- Butter flavored Coconut Oil – Like this one. I love using it in this recipe because it gives the cornbread focaccia extra flavor. But you can also use regular coconut oil, or neutral flavored oils like olive oil or avocado oil.
Equipment
- I used a KitchenAid Stand Mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough. You’re also welcome to use a bread machine, or knead the dough by hand.
More Recipes with Corn (HERE)
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Cornbread Focaccia
STEP 1
Remove the corn kernels from the cob of corn using a sharp knife. Since the corn will be cooked with the bread, there’s no need to pre-cook the corn before using.
STEP 2
Prepare corn puree by blending the fresh corn kernels in a mini blender until creamy.
STEP 3
Mix all the dry ingredients (bread flour, corn meal, yeast, sugar, salt) in the bowl of the stand mixer.
Start to knead the dough at a low setting (speed 2) for about a minute. Add water 1 Tbsp at a time, or as much as needed*, until all the ingredients are just barely combined, with no dry ingredients remaining.
*I used 2 Tbsp water, but more may be needed depending on the protein content of the flour, the water content in the puree, as well as the humidity and temperature of the kitchen. Be sure to add one tablespoon at a time, so you don’t overhydrate the dough.
STEP 4
Stir in 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Continue to knead for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a smooth, supple ball.
Remove the finished dough from the mixer bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl.
STEP 5
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes
STEP 6
Punch down the dough, then transfer to a parchment paper-lined 12-inch skillet, cast iron pan, or pizza pan and flatten using your hands.
Let the dough rise again for 40-60 minutes until puffy. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350F / 180C
STEP 7
Sprinkle or spritz the top of the focaccia bread with water (this helps to form a crunchy and thick crust), then use your fingers to poke holes onto the surface of the focaccia dough, spaced about 1 inch apart
STEP 8
Sprinkle with fresh or dried herbs, or with red pepper flakes.
STEP 9
Bake in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Once out of the oven, brush with more butter flavored coconut oil, butter or garlic infused oil for more flavor.
STEP 10
Slice, and serve warm. Enjoy!
How to Make Cornbread Focaccia Healthier
- Want to add more fiber? Substitute white whole wheat flour for up to half of the bread flour called for in this recipe. You’ll need to add a few more tablespoons of water to adjust the hydration since whole wheat flour absorbs more water than white flour.
Note on Substitutions
- Unfortunately, gluten-free flours cannot be substituted for bread flour in this recipe.
- While bread flour is highly recommended, all-purpose flour can be used instead with 1 tsp of vital wheat gluten for every cup of flour.
- Liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey or molasses can replace all of the sugar in this recipe, but it makes the dough softer and more difficult to handle since it contributes additional moisture. Increase bread flour by 1 Tablespoon to adjust.
Final Tips for Easy Cornbread Focaccia
- Weigh your flour for the best results. 1 cup of bread flour = 120 grams / 4.23 oz. This is recommended since scooping the flour directly from the bag can can pack the flour into the measuring cup, and this means you’ll end up with more flour than what’s called for in the recipe. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can measure the flour by spooning pre-sifted flour into the measuring cup, then using the straight end of the spoon to level the flour across the top to sweep off the excess.
More Bread Recipes (HERE)
Cornbread Focaccia in the Skillet (Made with Fresh Sweet Corn)
Equipment
- 1 12 inch skillet
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup fresh corn kernels , from about 2 whole corn cobs*
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour (300g), sifted and leveled**
- 1/4 cup corn meal , or more bread flour
- 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp water , more if needed (read note)
- 1 Tbsp butter flavored coconut oil , unflavored coconut oil or olive oil
Instructions
- Remove the corn kernels from the corn kernels from the corn using a sharp knife. since the corn will be cooked with the bread, there's no need to pre-cook the corn before using.
- Prepare corn puree*** by blending the fresh corn kernels in a mini blender until creamy.
- Mix all the dry ingredients (bread flour, corn meal, yeast, salt) in the bowl of the stand mixer.
- Add the corn puree to the dry ingredients and start to knead the dough at a low setting (speed 2) for about a minute
- Add water one tablespoon at a time*, until all the ingredients are just barely combined, with no dry ingredients remaining.*I used 2 Tbsp water, but more may be needed depending on the protein content of the flour, the water content in the puree, as well as the humidity and temperature of the kitchen. Be sure to add one tablespoon at a time, so you don’t overhydrate the dough.
- Stir in 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Continue to knead for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a smooth, supple ball.
- Remove the finished dough from the mixer bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl.
- Cover and let rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes****
- Punch down the dough, then transfer to a parchment paper lined skillet, cast iron pan, or pizza pan and flatten using your hands.
- Let the dough rise again for 40-60 minutes until puffy. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350F / 180C
- Sprinkle or spritz the top of the focaccia bread with water (this helps to form a crunchy and thick crust), then use your fingers to poke holes onto the surface of the focaccia dough, spaced about 1 inch apart
- Sprinkle with fresh or dried herbs, or with red pepper flakes.
- Bake in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Once out of the oven, brush with more butter flavored coconut oil, butter or garlic infused oil for more flavor.
- Serve warm. Enjoy!
- The focaccia bread can be stored wrapped, at room temperature, for 3-5 days. For longer storage, you can place them in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container and freeze up to 3 months, then defrost them at room temperature or microwave before eating.
Notes
- Canned Corn – For best results, drain and rinse the corn with water before using. It’s best if you can find a “no salt added” corn. If not, we can also adjust the salt that’s added to the bread by using half the amount of salt called for in the recipe.
- Frozen Corn – cook the frozen corn in the microwave or over stovetop at least until it’s thawed or warm.
- Fresh Corn – Remove the corn kernels from the corn using a sharp knife.
- Cooked Corn – no prep required on this one 🙂
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