Skillet Southern Cornbread

I inherited my grandmother's perfectly seasoned cast iron pans, and I won't part with them until the Lord takes me home. Baking cornbread in cast iron provides a deep, brown crust you won't get from any other type of pan. Do not look for sugar in any true southern cornbread recipe. Cornbread is meant to be savory and not sweet, although it is sometimes served with syrup. As far as the shape, Dad was fond of saying that "pi r square and cornbread r round." Demonstration video is provided in my blog post for this recipe.
Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 17-18 minutes Bake at: 475° Makes: 6 servings Pan: 8-inch seasoned cast iron skillet Difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

1 cup (122g whole grain) white corn meal 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup buttermilk1 large egg, lightly beaten1 tablespoon melted butter or bacon drippingsCooking spray or vegetable shortening for pan

Directions:

Turn on oven to 475° before gathering ingredients. Prepare 8-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray or vegetable shortening. Wipe out excess spray. Heat pan in oven for 4 minutes before needed (place pan in oven at about 435°). Don't let the grease start to burn and smoke. If greasing with shortening, pour off excess when you remove the pan from the oven. Sift together corn meal, flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and lightly beaten egg. Stir until just mixed. Add melted butter or bacon drippings and stir to incorporate. Batter will be lumpy. Pour batter into hot, greased skillet. Bake 17-18 minutes until lightly mottled brown and cracked on top, and sides are browned and pulling away from pan. Let cool 10 minutes in pan and then turn out on a wire rack. Cool 7-8 minutes, slice into pie shaped wedges, split, butter, and serve.

Tips:

  • You can replace white corn meal with yellow, but it does not taste as good. Reduce the oven temperature to 425° for yellow corn meal.
  • Margarine can be substituted for butter but expect less mottled brown coloring on top; do not overbake.
  • You cannot replace buttermilk and egg with non-dairy milk or any egg substitute.
  • You can use The Saco Pantry, Cultured Buttermilk Blend (powdered buttermilk) in place of buttermilk. Bob's Red Mill also sells powdered buttermilk.
  • Make cornbread in 10-inch skillet by doubling all ingredients except egg. Bake 20 minutes.
  • Other ways to enjoy cornbread include dunking piece in buttermilk or buttering and serving with sorghum syrup.
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