Cornbread belongs in a cast-iron skillet. That crispy edge is the best part.

Quick answer Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in a 450°F oven. Mix 2 cups cornmeal with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk 1 1/2 cups buttermilk with 2 eggs. Melt butter or bacon drippings in the hot skillet, stir most of it into the batter, pour the batter in, and bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread
Photo: Alabama Extension / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Ingredients

  • 2 cups fine yellow or white cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 tablespoons butter or bacon drippings
  • A 10-inch cast-iron skillet

Directions

  1. Heat the skillet. Put the empty skillet in the oven and preheat to 450°F.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients: cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar if using.
  3. Mix the wet. In another bowl whisk the buttermilk and eggs. Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined. Don’t overmix.
  4. Melt the fat. Put the butter or drippings in the hot skillet in the oven for a minute until melted. Pull the skillet out carefully and swirl to coat the bottom and sides.
  5. Combine and pour. Pour most of the hot fat into the batter, stir quickly, and pour the batter into the skillet. It should sizzle.
  6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden-brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
  7. Serve warm, turned out crust-side up, with butter, honey, or a bowl of beans.
Safety: That skillet comes out of a 450°F oven. Use a thick, dry oven mitt every time you touch it, and warn the kids.