A super simple, thick and hearty cornbread that is made in the skillet – it tastes best fresh out of the oven and with a dollop of jam, butter or honey!
Cornbread is one of those fairly “new to me” food items since I did not grow up in the south. I went to college in the south and was pretty clueless about the food culture I was about to experience. BBQ was plentiful, as were baked beans, collard greens, and cornbread. I’d never had a proper cornbread before so I was unsure what to expect.
I’ve tried many varieties of cornbread since my college days, and have found some to be too dry, too crumbly, too thick or too whatever. I was looking for a solid, standard cornbread recipe that could easily feed a crowd as my future go-to recipe. This is it.
This cornbread is super simple and made in a cast iron skillet. The heat from the skillet produces a nice sear on the bottom of the bread while the tops and sides get nice and golden while baking. The cornbread, while thick, still maintains a nice chew and doesn’t get dry after several days. It definitely tastes best fresh out of the oven and with a dollop of butter, honey, or your favorite jam.
While this might not be the best cornbread recipe ever, it is a good solid one that you can happily serve family and friends. It definitely feeds a crowd, and if you have leftovers, you can easily store them in the refrigerator or in the freezer for snacking on later.
Skillet cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon canola or olive oil
- 3 cups cornmeal
- 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar rounded
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Pour 1 Tablespoon of canola or olive oil into a cast iron skillet. Place it into your oven and preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, mix the eggs and milk. Then add the melted butter (it may clump, and that's ok).
- Transfer the egg and mil mixture to the large bowl with the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Mix until everything is just incorporated - do not over mix. The batter will be thick.
- Using oven mitts, remove the cast iron skillet from the oven once it reaches 425 degrees F. Pour the cornbread batter into your hot skillet and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the top becomes golden.