Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes

| United States | Southern U.S. cuisine | Bread

Skillet Cornbread - Commonly found in the Southern United States, this delicious and easy to make dish is often served beside a pot of brown beans. It can be made a day or two ahead of time, as long as care is taken to keep it from drying out.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 to 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 cups yellow or white corn meal
• 1 egg
• 2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter or pan drippings
• 1 cup milk or buttermilk.

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C)
2. Grease the skillet with bacon drippings (ideal) or oil. Butter isn't recommended, since it can burn when you preheat the skillet.
3. Preheat the skillet until the drippings/oil is smoking. This ensures a good crust on the bottom of the cornbread.
4. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Thoroughly mix the sifted ingredients together and add the corn meal.
5. In a second bowl, beat the egg well. Add the melted butter (or pan drippings) and the milk and continue to beat until well mixed.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix using fast strokes. Take care not to overmix.
7. Pour the batter into the skillet and place in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cornbread should have a golden brown color when done, and a knitting needle or knife-point will come out "dry" when inserted in the bread.

Notes, tips, and variations

• Ideally, all ingredients should be at room temperature (about 75°F (24°C)) for this recipe. However, a good result can still be had if this is not the case.
• Yellow corn meal is preferable to white corn meal, but this can vary according to locality and personal taste.
• Optionally, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of diced cooked ham or crumbled bacon can be added to the batter before pouring into the skillet. This may add a few minutes to the baking time.

Warnings

• The skillet must be oven-safe. Ideally, skillet cornbread should be baked in a cast-iron skillet.