Grannie’s Buttermilk Cornbread

As a southern girl, I take my cornbread recipe seriously. In my opinion, a good piece of cornbread can take a family meal to a whole other level! We love cornbread at Thanksgiving and typically use it for our cornbread dressing (see the recipe here) or simply have a pan of it made in the cast iron pan for extra crispy edges.

The reason we love baking in our cast iron pots is thanks to the tiny pores that are formed in the creation process of the iron pot, the pores absorb flavors and grease, which, over time create that natural, non-stick “seasoned” surface we all love. As well, dutch ovens are built with heavy walls and lids so the heat is trapped inside creating a circulating convection wave that evenly cooks the food. Read more about how awesome cast iron pots are here.

Grannie’s Buttermilk Cornbread

½ cup butter
⅔ cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place a 9-inch cast-iron skillet inside to heat while you make the batter.
2. In a small pan, melt butter and add to a large mixing bowl.
3. In a large bowl, W\whisk in almost all of the melted butter, reserving about 1 tablespoon for the skillet later on. Stir in sugar until incorporated.
4. Next, add eggs, sugar, cornmeal, buttermilk, baking soda, flour, and salt and whisk until combined.
5. When open is preheated to 425 degrees F, remove the hot skillet from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Coat the bottom and sides of the hot skillet with the remaining butter and pour the batter into the skillet and place it in the center of the oven.
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick is inserted in the middle and no batter comes out. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and serve.