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Biscuits, Cornbread, and Soda Bread
Recipe
1 hr

Southern-Style Skillet Cornbread

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Southern-Style Skillet Cornbread
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 11, 2024

Dry-toasting the cornmeal before mixing the batter maximizes the corn flavor in this savory bread.

Time

1 hr

Why This Recipe Works

Unlike sweet and cakey Northern versions that are better suited to the dessert table, Southern cornbread recipes contain neither sugar nor flour, making them savory enough to join the main course. We wanted to develop a proper Southern cornbread recipe that made cornbread with hearty corn flavor, a sturdy, moist crumb, and a dark brown crust that would win Northern allegiance. Finely ground Quaker cornmeal gave our cornbread the right texture, and dry-toasting the cornmeal in the oven for five minutes intensified the corn flavor. Buttermilk, which tasters preferred to milk, added a sharp tang that worked well with the corn. When it came to fat selection, a combination of butter (for flavor) and vegetable oil (which can withstand high heat without burning) worked best in our Southern-Style Skillet Cornbread recipe.

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups (11¼ ounces/319 grams) cornmeal
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat 10-inch ovensafe skillet on middle rack for 10 minutes. Bake cornmeal on rimmed baking sheet set on lower-middle rack until fragrant and color begins to deepen, about 5 minutes. Transfer hot cornmeal to large bowl and whisk in buttermilk; set aside.
    Recipe Tip
    While any 10-inch ovensafe skillet will work here, our first choice (for both tradition and function) is a cast-iron skillet. Avoid coarsely ground cornmeal, as it will make the corn bread gritty.
  2. Add oil to hot skillet and continue to bake until oil is just smoking, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and add butter, carefully swirling pan until butter is melted. Pour all but 1 tablespoon oil mixture into cornmeal mixture, leaving remaining fat in pan. Whisk baking powder, baking soda, salt, and eggs into cornmeal mixture.
  3. Pour cornmeal mixture into hot skillet and bake until top begins to crack and sides are golden brown, 12 to 16 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack. Serve.

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Up Next

Brown Soda Bread
Recipe2 hr 15 min

Brown Soda Bread

Southern-Style Skillet Cornbread

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 11, 2024

Time

1 hr

Southern-Style Skillet Cornbread

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups (11¼ ounces/319 grams) cornmeal2 cups buttermilk¼ cup vegetable oil4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda¾ teaspoon salt2 large eggs

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat 10-inch ovensafe skillet on middle rack for 10 minutes. Bake cornmeal on rimmed baking sheet set on lower-middle rack until fragrant and color begins to deepen, about 5 minutes. Transfer hot cornmeal to large bowl and whisk in buttermilk; set aside.
    Recipe Tip
    While any 10-inch ovensafe skillet will work here, our first choice (for both tradition and function) is a cast-iron skillet. Avoid coarsely ground cornmeal, as it will make the corn bread gritty.
  2. Add oil to hot skillet and continue to bake until oil is just smoking, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and add butter, carefully swirling pan until butter is melted. Pour all but 1 tablespoon oil mixture into cornmeal mixture, leaving remaining fat in pan. Whisk baking powder, baking soda, salt, and eggs into cornmeal mixture.
  3. Pour cornmeal mixture into hot skillet and bake until top begins to crack and sides are golden brown, 12 to 16 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack. Serve.
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