Traditional skillet cornbread like Grandma used to make is a thing of beauty. She’d pull out her well-seasoned cast iron skillet, and somehow, magic would happen. I still remember how incredibly good it was, almost like a spell had been baked into it. These days, I’ve inherited her skillet and, with my growing kitchen skills, I do my best to recreate her masterpiece.
I’m fairly certain she greased the pan with lard, but in a small nod to healthier habits, I use butter instead. Either way, the key is preheating and greasing that skillet before pouring in the batter. The result? A golden, crispy crust that gives way to a soft, buttery center.
Tonight, I paired it with a pot of red bean soup and it’s a match made in comfort food heaven. Crumble the cornbread into the soup, alternate bites, or slather on extra butter and enjoy it as a side. However you eat it, it hits the spot.
Cornbread, Sugar and History
Whether you’re team sugar or strictly no-sugar in your cornbread, do you ever wonder why you feel so strongly about it? It all traces back to the history of cornbread itself. Geography, race and economics factor into our preference. Things like North vs. South, rich or poor, the “big house” or the slave quarters— all shaped the cornbread traditions handed down through generations.
Kathleen Purvis dives into all of this in a fantastic article for the Charlotte Observer, shedding light on why we each love it “our way.”
No matter how you make it, one thing’s for sure: in Arkansas, cornbread in all its forms is cherished. That’s why it’s an Arkansas Original.
Skillet Cornbread
Traditional buttermilk cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet with a crispy bottom crust and a buttery soft interior!
Ingredients
- 1–1/4 cups medium ground yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup + 1 TBL granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs – lightly beaten
- 1 stick unsalted butter – melted and divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425
- Melt a stick of butter on low heat and lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl
- Preheat a 9″ cast iron skillet in the oven while you make the batter, about 10-15 minutes
- Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl, then whisk in the milk, buttermilk and eggs
- Whisk in almost all the melted butter, reserving 1 tablespoon
- Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and grease with the remaining melted butter
- Carefully pour the batter into the skillet and place it in the center of the oven
- Turn the heat down to 375 and bake until the center is firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes
- Remove and cool for 10-15 minutes on a rack and the cornbread will pull away from the sides of the skillet
- Use a spatula to transfer the cornbread from the skillet onto a cutting board and slice it into 6-8 pieces