Skillet Cornbread

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 220C. Place a small cast-iron skillet, about 16-18 cm wide, in the oven while it heats so the pan gets very hot; this is what creates the crisp crust. In a bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, plain flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar until evenly combined.

   90 g fine or medium cornmeal50 g plain flour6 g baking powder3 g salt12 g sugar
2. 2

   In a second bowl or jug, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter until smooth. Make sure the melted butter is warm, not hot, so it does not scramble the egg.

   180 ml buttermilk1 large egg25 g unsalted butter, melted
3. 3

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until no dry pockets remain. Do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine and help keep the crumb tender.

   90 g fine or medium cornmeal50 g plain flour6 g baking powder3 g salt12 g sugar180 ml buttermilk1 large egg25 g unsalted butter, melted
4. 4

   Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and add the butter for the skillet. Swirl to coat the base and sides; it should foam immediately. Pour in the batter and return the skillet to the oven at once.

   10 g unsalted butter
5. 5

   Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the top is golden, the edges are deeply browned, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The cornbread should pull slightly from the sides of the skillet.

6. 6

   Let the cornbread rest in the skillet for 5 minutes to set the crumb and make slicing easier. Serve warm, ideally with extra butter if you like.

Origin & History

Skillet cornbread is a classic staple of the American South, where cornmeal-based breads have deep roots in Native American foodways and later rural home cooking. Baking it in a hot cast-iron pan became a defining technique, giving the bread its signature crisp edge and rich, buttery crust.