Southern Style Cornbread
There’s a few aromas that can make any true southerner perk up from their rocking chair. One, is sizzling bacon in the morning. The other? A freshly baked batch of cornbread in the afternoon.
There’s a bit of division down here between folks who prefer their cornbread sweet or unsweet. My stance…? Lightly sweetened. Free from comparison to its overly cakey counterparts, but more palatable than the classic “hot water” cornbread. If you are looking for a classic, reliable cornbread recipe, look no further.
Active Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves: 6-8 People
Ingredients
2 ¼ Cups coarse ground yellow cornmeal (350g)
1 ¾ Cups All-Purpose Flour (215g)
2 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted
½ cup light brown sugar, packed (120g)
¼ Cup Sugar (50g)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 Cups full-fat buttermilk, room temperature (480g)
Bacon fat or extra butter, for greasing
Directions
Begin by preheating your oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Lightly grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with bacon fat, melted butter, or cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and set aside. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs to the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk until thoroughly combined. Finally, add the buttermilk to the wet ingredients and whisk until thoroughly combined (yes, your whisk is getting a workout). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until no dry chunks remain. Avoid over-mixing.
Pour batter into the prepared cast iron pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and a toothpick poked into the center comes out dry.
Allow to slightly cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack to rest for another 10-15 minutes.
Slice and serve with any toppings from the Jams and Jellies chapter!