Monday is a national holiday remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. In his honor, we looked into some of his favorite foods and learned this from the Rev. G.H. Williams, who, at 87 years of age, serves as a guide at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta.

As he leads tours of the King’s home, in the kitchen area, he informs visitors that a favorite meal “was the Sunday feast of fried chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread.”

While we are unsure of his family recipe, I am sure this one adapted from See the Beauty in the Ordinary will be. This is how Bev Sullivan describes her recipe:

“Until recently, I would not have been among the cornbread lovers. It was okay piping hot out of the oven, but then? Not so much. But now. Now I have a recipe I like and one I’m glad to share with you. Baked in a cast-iron skillet, a crisp crust surrounds a lovely moist center. Try it and I think you’ll join the crowd who loves cornbread.”

Bev Sullivan

Sourdough Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients

Cornmeal Levain (scroll down to ‘L’)

  • 1½ cup (240 g) sourdough starter
  • 1½ cup (180 g) cornmeal
  • 1 cup (240 g) milk

Levain Instructions

  1. Six to twelve hours before you bake, combine all of these ingredients.
  2. Mix well and set aside in a warm (room temperature) place.
    (NOTE: soaking cornmeal overnight increases the flavor)

Batter Ingredients

  1. ⅓ cup [70g] of sugar
  2. 1 tsp [6g] salt
  3. 1½ tsp [6g] baking powder
  4. 1½ tsp [10] baking soda
  5. 2 eggs
  6. ½ cup [112g] bacon drippings, butter or vegetable oil
  7. optional: one can of drained corn

Batter Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425ºF (220°C).
  2. Spray a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with oil and place it in the oven while it heats.
  3. Mix cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a bowl. 
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well with the levain.
  5. Pour into a hot skillet and bake for 15–20 minutes. With a hot skillet, it will bake quickly.
  6. Serve warm with butter and honey if desired.

In the comment section below, we would love to hear about your experience using sourdough and cornmeal to celebrate this holiday or any other time. And don’t forget to check out out Sourdough Cornbread Muffin recipe.