Recipes
South Africa

Mielie Bread (South African Cornbread)

A golden, slightly sweet South African cornbread studded with fresh corn kernels.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mielie meal
  • 1½ cups flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup corn kernels (fresh or tinned)
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • ½ tsp salt

Method

  1. 1

    Combine mielie meal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

  2. 2

    Beat eggs, milk, and butter together.

  3. 3

    Stir wet into dry. Fold in corn kernels.

  4. 4

    Pour into greased loaf tin. Bake at 180°C for 40–45 minutes or until golden.

  5. 5

    Slice warm with butter or honey.

Swaps & variations

  • Add cheese and chopped herbs
  • Add green onions
  • Add chilli for heat
  • Make sweet mielie bread with extra honey

Storing & freezing

Keeps 3–4 days refrigerated. Freeze slices up to 2 months.

Grow it yourself

  • Mielies: Plant in blocks not rows; sow spring or early summer; heavy feeders — add compost; water deeply during tasseling
  • Wheat: Winter crop in many SA regions; harvest when seed heads dry fully
  • Eggs (backyard chickens): Free-range chickens produce richer yolks; provide clean water, grit, and good feed
  • Milk (homesteaders): Goats or cows produce nutrient-rich fresh milk
  • Interplant maize with beans and pumpkin for pest deterrence
  • Use garlic spray to keep caterpillars off corn leaves
  • Mulch heavily to retain moisture
  • Plant sunflowers nearby to attract pollinators
  • Corn: Harvest when silks turn brown and kernels produce milky juice; for dry mielies allow cobs to dry on plant
  • Eggs & Milk: Use freshest ingredients for best baking results

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