Buttermilk cornbread baked in a hot cast-iron skillet comes out golden on top, tender and a little sweet in the middle, with crisp, craggy, buttery edges. It is the bread for chili night, a pot of beans, barbecue or a holiday table, and it is on the table in half an hour.
How to make buttermilk cornbread: Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in one bowl, and egg, buttermilk and melted butter in another. Stir the two together just until combined. Heat a cast-iron skillet in a 400°F oven, swirl butter around it, pour in the batter and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden.
Why You’ll Love It
- Crisp edges. The batter goes into a hot, buttered skillet.
- Two bowls and a whisk. No mixer needed.
- Thirty minutes. Ten to mix and about twenty to bake.
- Basic ingredients. Cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, butter and an egg.
Ingredient Notes
Cornmeal and flour. One cup of each. Use plain cornmeal, not self-rising. The recipe adds its own leavening.
Granulated sugar. A 1/3 cup, for a lightly sweet cornbread.
Baking powder and baking soda. Two and a half teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
Egg. One.
Buttermilk. One cup.
Butter. It is used twice. A 1/4 cup, melted and cooled, goes into the batter. Two more tablespoons go into the hot skillet. Bacon grease can be used in the skillet in place of that butter.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled, for the batter
- 2 tablespoons butter, for the skillet
How to Make Buttermilk Cornbread
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda, breaking up any clumps.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and 1/4 cup melted and cooled butter.
4. Combine the batter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
5. Heat and butter the skillet. Preheat the cast-iron skillet in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove it, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and swirl to coat the bottom and sides.
6. Bake. Pour the batter into the skillet and smooth it with a spoon or spatula. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Do not overbake.
7. Serve. Serve warm.
How to Get Crisp Edges on Skillet Cornbread
The crisp edge comes from the pan, not the batter. An empty cast-iron skillet goes into the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, then gets a swirl of butter over its bottom and sides. When the batter hits that hot, buttered iron, the outside starts to set and brown right away. That is what gives the crispy, craggy edges.
| Step | What to do | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Skillet | Preheat it empty for 5 to 10 minutes | Pouring batter into a cold pan |
| Butter | Swirl 2 tablespoons over the bottom and up the sides | Leaving the sides dry |
| Batter | Stir just until combined | Beating it smooth |
| Baking | Stop at a golden top and a mostly clean toothpick | Overbaking |
Mix the batter first, then heat the skillet, so the batter is ready the moment the butter is swirled. And use an oven mitt on that handle. A skillet out of a 400°F oven looks the same as a cold one.
Tips for Success
How do I know the cornbread is done?
The top is golden and a toothpick pushed into the center comes out mostly clean. That takes 20 to 25 minutes. Do not leave it in longer.
Why should I not overmix?
The recipe says to stir only until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. A few small lumps are fine.
Why cool the melted butter?
The butter for the batter is melted and then cooled before it is whisked with the egg and buttermilk.
Can I use bacon grease in the skillet?
Yes. Bacon grease is offered as an alternative to the 2 tablespoons of butter that coat the skillet.
What kind of cornmeal should I buy?
Plain cornmeal. Self-rising cornmeal is a different product.
Can You Substitute for the Buttermilk?
I do not have a measured, reliable swap to give you for this recipe, so I will not guess. It is written for 1 cup of buttermilk, and that is what I would use. The same goes for buttermilk past its date: I cannot tell you it is safe, so buy a fresh carton.
Storage & Reheating
Cornbread is best served warm from the skillet. For leftovers, USDA FSIS advises refrigerating within 2 hours in covered, shallow containers and using them within 3 to 4 days. Its general guidance for frozen leftovers is 3 to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, not on the counter, and reheat leftovers to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Cornbread belongs next to a pot of beans. Try it with crock pot ham and beans, slow cooker black-eyed peas with bacon or brown sugar bacon baked beans, with fried cabbage with bacon on the side. For another cornmeal bread, make Southern cornmeal hoecakes. And if you have cornbread left over, it can go into Southern cornbread dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients for making homemade cornbread?
For this recipe: cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, an egg, buttermilk and butter.
What can you substitute for buttermilk in a cornbread recipe?
This recipe does not give a substitute, so I am not going to suggest one. Use buttermilk.
Do I have to use a cast-iron skillet?
The recipe is written for one, and the hot skillet is where the crisp edges come from.
Can you substitute buttermilk for regular milk when making cornbread?
This cornbread is already written with buttermilk, 1 cup of it. I do not have amounts for making it with regular milk. Cut the finished cornbread into 8 wedges.
Final Notes
I mix the batter before the skillet goes in the oven, so I can pour it the second the butter stops sizzling. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Buttermilk Cornbread
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Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup butter melted and cooled, for the batter
- 2 tablespoons butter for the skillet; bacon grease is an alternative
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda, breaking up any clumps.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and 1/4 cup melted and cooled butter.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Preheat the cast-iron skillet in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove it, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and swirl to coat the bottom and sides.
- Pour the batter into the skillet and smooth it with a spoon or spatula. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Do not overbake.
- Serve warm.
