Skillet Cornbread

Baked in a smoking-hot cast-iron skillet for a crunchy, buttery crust and a moist crumb. Lightly sweet, so it suits chili or honey butter.

Prep

10 min

Cook

25 min

Total

35 min

Yield

8 servings

Ingredients

4 tbsp unsalted butter or bacon drippings
1½ cups yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar (optional)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine salt
1½ cups buttermilk
2 large eggs

Method

Put the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place it in the oven as it heats to 425°F (220°C).
Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs.
Carefully take out the hot skillet. Pour most of the melted butter into the buttermilk mixture, leaving a coating in the pan.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. It should sizzle.
Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then cut into wedges.

Kitchen note

The batter must hit a hot pan. That sizzle is what creates the crisp crust.

Where it comes from

Cornbread comes from Native American cornmeal cakes. Southern cooks favor it baked in cast iron, often with bacon drippings.