Important Tips For The Best Possible Skillet Corn Bread:
This Southern recipe absolutely requires a seasoned, 8-inch cast iron skillet for best cooking results. Also, be sure to use plain cornmeal, not self-rising or corn bread mix. This is not a cake-like bread. The final result will be relatively thin and dense. It is also best to dedicate the cast iron skillet only to corn bread. This helps prevent sticking.
Prep time will be about 10 minutes
Cooking time will be about 30 minutes
Serves 2 to 5, depending on serving size
Ingredients:
- Vegetable Oil for coating skillet, approx. 1 tablespoon, plus or minus
- 1 cup cornmeal, preferably white
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Buttermilk, not low fat, preferably Bulgarian
Cooking Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mix all dry ingredients by hand in a medium-size mixing bowl. Make sure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Add buttermilk; starting with about 1/2 cup. Mix and continue adding buttermilk until batter will pour slowly out of the bowl. Do not make batter too thin. This may take some experimentation to determine exactly how much liquid is needed.
- Add vegetable oil to skillet, just to cover the bottom. Heat skillet on stove-top on medium-high heat until oil is very hot, frying temperature.
- Add the batter. It will sizzle loudly and begin to fry. Some oil may rise to the top of the batter.
- As sizzling subsides, transfer skillet to oven. Be sure to remember to use an oven mit as the cast iron skillet will be very hot.
- Cook for 30 minutes, until top is golden brown and batter is cooked completely through.
- Run a knife around edges to loosen the bread. A metal or plastic spatula may also be used to make sure that the bread is completely free of the skillet.
- Turn out onto a plate. The bottom (now becoming the top) will have a dark brown, almost blackened appearance.
- Serve immediately with hunks of butter; it is absolutely wonderful when it is really hot.
- Left-over bread may be stored for a couple of days without refrigeration.
- It is best re-heated in the oven.
Other Options:
This recipe is also great for cooking corn bread muffins and corn sticks.
If fried corn bread is desired, use less buttermilk in the mix and more oil in the skillet. Drop by large spoonfuls into hot oil and fry until batter is cooked through and solid; drain on paper towells.
As a late night snack, left-over corn bread can be broken into pieces, placed in a large glass and covered with cold milk. A real country Southern treat.
During the holidays, this recipe also makes the perfect base for Southern corn bread dressing.
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