Any decent southern baker has a cornbread recipe. And every southern baker has an opinion about whether or your not sugar belongs in cornbread. Team Sugar, over here. Cornbread made in a cast iron is a staple. It’s iconic. It’s a classic. I’ve made this particular recipe so many times that I have it memorized.
When you bake as much as I do the tried and true becomes routine and you find yourself down this path of discovery and adventure (sourdough! croissants! layer cakes!) I don’t want to get distracted by the glitz and glam of an amazing sourdough loaf so this year on my baking bucket list is to remake those southern classic recipes. I learned a lot helping my grandmother and aunt in their kitchens. The others are recipes that I just remember at the table.
Notes about this recipe:
I prefer yellow cornmeal to white. The texture is better is just better in my opinion. If you use white cornmeal dial back the sugar to 1/2 cup.
For the recipe, I used a 9-inch skillet with a 1 1/2 inch depth. If you have a wider or deeper skillet you are going to need to scale the recipe depending on how thick you want your cornbread. Obviously your bake time will vary — but the goal should be a nice golden color, with some cracks in the top and the edges of the cornbread moving away from the pan. Use toothpicks, temperature probes or even a left over take out chopstick(!) to test when the cornbread is done.
Heating the cast iron skillet. The best way to heat the cast iron skillet is to put it in a cold oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. My instructions don’t tell you to do that, because I have a history of burning the daylights out of myself. If you are accident prone you can achieve a nice crust by warming your cast iron on the stove on medium for about 10 minutes before melting the butter. It’s not perfect, but it’s also safer.
The cast iron skillet creates a crazy crisp buttery crust on the sides and edges that are amazing. Word of caution, more butter isn’t better here. If you have too much butter in the pan it will create a weird layer on the top of the cornbread.
Cast Iron Cornbread
One bowl cornbread recipe baked in a cast-iron skillet to give it a nice crispy crust.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup corn meal
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tbs. honey
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbs. butter/margarine
Instructions
Instructions
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Place Cast Iron Skillet in a cold oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
*If you tend to be accident prone, just preheat the oven and see steps below.
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In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the butter with a wooden spoon.
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*accident prone instructions: warm the cast iron skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
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Melt the butter in the hot cast iron skillet, making sure that the butter coats the entire pan (sides and bottom). Take care to not burn yourself.
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Pour the cornbread mixture in the cast iron skillet and using potholders, put the skillet in the oven.
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Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe Notes
This recipe fits in a 9 inch cast iron skillet that is 1 1/2 inches deep. If your skillet is larger or deeper, please double the recipe.
I made this tonight – it was easy, buttery, and simultaneously moist and crunchy. The best cornbread I think I’ve had (restaurant or otherwise). I will definitely make it again without modifications.
Thanks Haley! I’m glad you liked it 🙂