Southern-Style Buttermilk Cornbread
By Morgan BollingPublished on October 29, 2024
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
We prefer lard here, but you can substitute bacon fat or butter. If using butter, use 8 tablespoons, melted and cooled, in the batter in step 2, and use 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in step 1 when preheating the skillet. We recommend fine- or medium-ground cornmeal here; do not use coarse-ground. For the best results, weigh the cornmeal, as grind size can affect measurements.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 1 tablespoon lard in 10-inch cast-iron skillet and set on oven rack. Whisk 1 cup cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in medium bowl.
- Whisk 1 cup buttermilk and remaining ½ cup cornmeal together in large bowl and microwave for 1½ minutes. Whisk thoroughly and continue to microwave, whisking every 30 seconds, until thickened to batter-like consistency (whisk will leave channel in bottom of bowl that slowly fills in), 1 to 3 minutes longer. Whisk in melted lard until smooth, then whisk in remaining ¾ cup buttermilk until evenly combined. Whisk in eggs until combined. Fold in flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Using pot holders, remove skillet from oven and gently swirl to evenly coat pan with lard. Carefully transfer batter to skillet, smooth top with spatula, and return skillet to oven. Bake until top begins to crack, sides are golden brown, and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 16 to 18 minutes.
- Let cornbread cool in skillet for 5 minutes. Using pot holders, carefully turn cornbread out of skillet onto wire rack, then gently flip cornbread right side up onto rack. Let cool 15 minutes longer. Serve
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Knowing that there is no definitive version of Southern cornbread, we set out to make a savory, not-too-sweet, corn-forward cornbread that straddled the line of moist and crumbly. We microwaved cornmeal with buttermilk until the mixture thickened to a paste-like consistency. This step hydrated and gelled the starch in the cornmeal, which helped the cornbread retain more moisture so it had a tender crumb and didn't seem dry. We opted to use lard for a rich flavor, but butter or bacon fat also works well. We baked the cornbread in a hot 450-degree oven in a preheated cast-iron skillet to ensure that this all-purpose cornbread had crispy edges for flavor and textural interest.
Before You Begin
We prefer lard here, but you can substitute bacon fat or butter. If using butter, use 8 tablespoons, melted and cooled, in the batter in step 2, and use 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in step 1 when preheating the skillet. We recommend fine- or medium-ground cornmeal here; do not use coarse-ground. For the best results, weigh the cornmeal, as grind size can affect measurements.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 1 tablespoon lard in 10-inch cast-iron skillet and set on oven rack. Whisk 1 cup cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in medium bowl.
- Whisk 1 cup buttermilk and remaining ½ cup cornmeal together in large bowl and microwave for 1½ minutes. Whisk thoroughly and continue to microwave, whisking every 30 seconds, until thickened to batter-like consistency (whisk will leave channel in bottom of bowl that slowly fills in), 1 to 3 minutes longer. Whisk in melted lard until smooth, then whisk in remaining ¾ cup buttermilk until evenly combined. Whisk in eggs until combined. Fold in flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Using pot holders, remove skillet from oven and gently swirl to evenly coat pan with lard. Carefully transfer batter to skillet, smooth top with spatula, and return skillet to oven. Bake until top begins to crack, sides are golden brown, and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 16 to 18 minutes.
- Let cornbread cool in skillet for 5 minutes. Using pot holders, carefully turn cornbread out of skillet onto wire rack, then gently flip cornbread right side up onto rack. Let cool 15 minutes longer. Serve
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