A delicious and easy-to-make cornbread recipe that is perfect for any occasion.
- 8 teaspoons bacon drippings or 2 tbsp melted butter and 2 teaspoons veg.oil or a combination of bacon fat with oil or butter
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal divided
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- Carbohydrate 36.7483562458342 g
- Cholesterol 142.175625 mg
- Fat 19.38675625 g
- Fiber 1.5923333333681 g
- Protein 7.66916666666667 g
- Saturated Fat 10.0686095 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (143g)
- Sodium 303.408411458333 mg
- Sugar 35.1560229124661 g
- Trans Fat 1.640254625 g
- Calories 352 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 450 F
- Decide what fat(s) you are going to use, and put them in an 8 inch cast iron skillet.* Place the skillet in preheated oven, and let the fat(s) melt and become hot while you prepare the cornbread batter.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 1 1/3 cups of the cornmeal, the sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2/3 cup cornmeal and the boiling water, stirring to blend. Add the buttermilk to the cornmeal/water mixture, whisking till most of the lumps are gone. Stir in the beaten eggs.
- Stir together the wet and dry ingredients, mixing till just combined. Remove the hot skillet from the oven, and pour any excess fat into the cornbread batter. Spoon the batter into the skillet, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Return the skillet to the oven, and bake the cornbread for about 20 minutes, until it's starting to brown around the edges, and the center springs back when lightly pressed with your fingertip.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, and transfer the cornbread to a cooling rack. It should slide out of the pan easily. Enjoy hot with butter or olive oil.
- *Note; If you don't have a cast iron skillet, use an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. Don't heat the pan in the oven, but brush the pan generously with the melted fat, add the remaining fat to the batter as directed, pour the batter into pan, and bake slightly longer than above.
Can this batter be halved or doubled to fit whatever skillet is currently sitting on the shelf? Adjusting quantities requires careful attention to pan volume, because changing the dimensions of a cast iron skillet alters how heat transfers to the batter. Halving the ingredients works well in a six-inch skillet, while doubling the recipe demands a ten- or twelve-inch pan to maintain the proper depth.
Thermal mass remains the single factor determining whether the crust achieves a deep, golden crunch or sticks stubbornly to the metal. Placing the fat inside the eight-inch skillet while the oven preheats to 450 degrees Fahrenheit ensures the pan reaches maximum heat before the batter touches the surface. Pouring hot fat directly into the mixture kick-starts the exterior frying process the moment the batter hits the pan.
Baking times fluctuate significantly when modifying pan sizes or using alternative vessels like round cake pans. Thinner layers bake rapidly, requiring close observation around the fifteen-minute mark to prevent over-browning. Conversely, thicker pours need additional minutes in the oven until the center springs back cleanly when pressed with a fingertip.
