USA · Flour and Confectionery Products

Southern Cornbread (Cast Iron Skillet)

35 min8 servings230 kcal

Southern cornbread is the defining quick bread of the American South — a flat, dense, crumble-textured bread made from stone-ground yellow or white cornmeal, buttermilk, and a little flour, baked in a pre-heated…

Southern Cornbread (Cast Iron Skillet)

Ingredients

  • fine or medium-ground yellow cornmeal240 g
  • plain flour60 g
  • baking powder1 tsp
  • bicarbonate of soda0.5 tsp
  • fine salt1 tsp
  • sugar1 tbsp
  • eggs2
  • full-fat buttermilk360 ml
  • neutral oil or melted butter60 ml
  • bacon grease, lard, or butter2 tbsp

Method

  1. 1Preheat the skillet. Place a 25 cm (10-inch) cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 220°C (425°F). The skillet must be in the oven from the very beginning — it needs at least 20 minutes to reach full temperature. A hot skillet is the entire secret to crust formation. Do not use a cold skillet and do not use a non-cast-iron tin — the result will be pale, soft, and disappointing.
  2. 2Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and sugar (if using). Whisk thoroughly so the leavening is evenly distributed — uneven distribution causes the bread to rise unevenly.
  3. 3Mix the wet ingredients and combine. In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined — 10 to 12 strokes maximum. The batter should look lumpy, rough, and slightly wet. Do not overmix. Overmixing develops gluten from the wheat flour, producing a tough, dense, cake-like cornbread rather than the correct crumbly, tender texture.
  4. 4Fat the skillet and pour the batter. Carefully remove the screaming-hot skillet from the oven using thick oven gloves. Add the bacon grease or butter to the skillet and swirl immediately to coat the bottom and sides — the fat will sizzle and smoke. Pour the batter into the hot fat immediately. You should hear a loud sizzle and see the batter begin to set and bubble around the edges at once. Pour quickly and return to the oven within 30 seconds.
  5. 5Bake. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is a deep golden brown, the edges have pulled away from the sides of the skillet, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. The crust on the bottom and sides — the defining characteristic — should be a very dark, crackling gold when you peek under the edge. Cool in the skillet for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a board. Serve cut into wedges, warm, with cold butter melting into the crumb.