Cornmeal is the resulting product of drying and grinding kernels of yellow corn.
Depending on the way it’s ground, store-bought cornmeal ranges in texture from coarse – meaning it’s only ground once or twice – to fine, where it’s ground multiple times to an almost powder-like texture.
What Is Corn Flour?
Made from grinding cornmeal to a fine powder, corn flour is commonly used in baking along with a combination of other flours. There are two different types of corn flour: yellow corn flour and white corn flour, and the difference between the two is what corn kernel it was made from.
“Cornflour” (one word) is corn starch. But “corn flour” (two words) is not corn starch.
Cornstarch Vs. Corn Flour
When making corn flour, the whole kernel of corn is used. But when making cornstarch (cornflour - one word), only the endosperm part of the corn kernel is used. So the difference between cornstarch and corn flour lies primarily in the part of the corn kernel that is used.
You can use corn flour in place of cornmeal , it really depends on the recipe in question and the final results you want to achieve.
But, essentially, corn meal is the same as corn flour and can be used interchangeably once you take into consideration the textural differences between the two.
Tip:
When substituting corn flour for cornmeal in baking, the finished product will likely be fluffier and less dense in texture. As a result, it should be baked for a shorter amount of time. To achieve the desired consistency, you may have to increase the amount of corn flour used.
I use corn flour instead of cornmeal all the time. I add whole corn off the cob to give it a bit of bite since it will be a bit fluffier.
Good cornbread is made, not bought. My cornbread is made with cornmeal, which is available at import grocery stores and online here.
For any buttermilk in a recipe, use the milk + lemon juice mentioned above just to get the acidity right, or use an unsweetened yogurt (which, if thick, may mean adding a little milk so you have enough liquid in the recipe.
Cornbread is quite easy to make if you have an oven, and IMO is best made in an iron skillet. I make it for turkey day every year, and also as an ingredient in my mom’s incredible dressing patties (basically they’re stuffing pressed into patty form, brushed with butter and baked, and they’re excellent as a T-day side with cranberry sauce on top).
A recipe like this should turn out fine; some have too much sugar. I use corn oil or a neutral low-smoke oil i/o butter in the cast iron pan in the oven, pull it out with two double-layered oven mitts and put it on a hot pad, pour the batter in, and pop it back into the oven. The butter goes on top later at meal time.
I make a batch, then serve half of it straight, and half goes into these patties:
Cornbread T-day Dressing Patties – Dragonbones
Make a batch of cornbread. Beat 2 eggs and add 2 cans (32 oz?, reserving a bit in case of need) of chicken broth, 16 oz. of herb croutons (Costco’s work but sage, rosemary, thyme etc. flavors are REALLY best, or toast homemade whole-grain bread twice and cube then add a bit more seasoning in next step) and a tsp. or so of sage-heavy poultry seasoning or sage, thyme and rosemary and a half tsp. of white pepper. Melt a stick of butter and sauté 2 to 3 cups of finely chopped onions and the same of finely chopped celery. Add all this to the breads and check to see if salt is needed; should be just a touch salty. You can add more liquid or more bread until you get the right consistency to form the patties; should be moist but firm bread mush with lumps. If you have a stainless muffin ring from a baking shop it makes it easy to form perfect disks but it’s not vital.
Place on a greased or non-stick baking sheet and brush the tops liberally with butter. Don’t skip the butter.
Place high in the oven at about 400 F until* the bottoms are browned and the tops are beginning to brown. Turn them once. Serve with slices of cranberry jelly for the kids, and cranberry sauce for the adults.
I don’t have my home cookbook on hand so I can’t recall the time but will try to add it later. Message me if I forget and you’re interested.