Can cornflour be used to make cornbread?

[Lady_Tenar]

I'm an American currently living in Ireland and I can't seem to find any cornmeal to make cornbread. I have found cornflour but I've never tried making bread with that. The back of the package gives recipes for thickening sauces etc. but does not mention bread or anything like it. Does anyone know if this can be used to make cornbread and, if so, do you have a recipe to share? They do have wonderful buttermilk here so I'd love to make a batch if I can. :-)

[chefj]

You need seek out "Maize Meal"
If you know where there are some African Food Shops they may carry it.

[visciole]

Can you find polenta? That's just coarse cornmeal and can make a very nice albeit slightly gritty cornbread.

[paulj]

Some Italian polenta is a fine grind.

I'm guessing the OP's cornflour is the American corn starch, both because I've learned elsewhere that in the UK cornflour is the starch, and because the package talks about thickening sauce.

We have discussed corn flour, a very fine corn meal grind. That will work in a cornbread. I have also seen recipes for European breads using ground corn. In some countries like Portugal it is a yeast bread. In Greece and the Balkins they make a rustic all corn quick bread.

[Lady_Tenar]

Ah yes, it would make sense that "cornflour" means cornstarch here, hence the focus on thickening things. *sigh* I really want to make some cornbread with my greens! I wonder if a whole foods store will carry the real thing...

[paulj]

Do you have pinhead oats with about the same texture as corn meal? I can imagine using those in place of corn in a recipe that uses half (or more) flour. The taste won't be the same, but texture might be reminiscent.

I like to use oats (usually rolled ones that I've chopped further) in pancakes, and a ginger bread (Yorkshire parkin), but haven't tried them in a unsweetened quick bread.

Another possible accompaniment for your greens, wholemeal soda bread

[Lady_Tenar]

Yeah, soda bread is the back-up but cornbread would be great...

[todao]

In my neck of the woods, corn flour is corn starch and it isn't suitable for making cornbread. You need corn meal, not corn flour. If you tried to use corn starch (flour) to make cornbread you'd end up with a brick.