Straight Cornbread in Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 450°F. Set 8-inch cast iron skillet with butter and oil in heating oven.
- 2
Measure 1/3 cup cornmeal into medium bowl. Mix remaining cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in small bowl and set aside.
- 3
Pour boiling water all at once into the 1/3 cup cornmeal; stir to make a stiff mush. Whisk in buttermilk gradually, breaking up lumps until smooth, then whisk in egg.
- 4
When oven is preheated and skillet very hot, stir dry ingredients into mush mixture until just moistened. Carefully remove skillet from oven. Pour hot oils into batter and stir to incorporate, then quickly pour batter into heated skillet.
- 5
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- 6
Remove from oven and instantly turn cornbread onto wire rack; cool for 5 minutes and serve immediately.
💡 Cook's Notes
If cooking in 9-inch cake pan or 9-inch square baking pan, grease lightly with butter (do not preheat pan), double this recipe and bake for 25 minutes. This recipe originally called for bacon fat (4 Tbsp) as first choice over butter and vegetable oil, but testing showed that the bacon fat gave the cornbread a greasy aroma.
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