Cornbread Recipe

I grew up eating cornbread with most of our suppers. It's a very cheap, filling and fast bread to cook with a meal. I love the crispy crust. And did you know cold cornbread is good with milk? I am not a milk drinker at all, but if you break up cold cornbread into pieces into a glass and pour milk over it, I'll eat it with a spoon. I think that is a southern thing!

This recipe has no sugar in it! I grew up eating unsweetened cornbread and unsweetened tea. Occasionally I crave sweet cornbread, but never sweet tea. *gag* I think this recipe should turn out ok if you had a tablespoon of sugar. It will make it turn more brown on top and should make a crispy top. This recipe without the sugar doesn't make a crispy top.

I usually make it in my 6 inch cast iron skillet

If you don't have a cast iron skillet the next best thing is a granite ware baking pan. I picked up mine in May at the War Eagle Mill. I have wanted one for years and finally got one!

Biscuits and dressing are wonderful baked in this as well. Something about this pan makes everything have a really crispy crust.

This is my grandma's cornbread recipe!

Cornbread Recipe

3/4 cup cornmeal (either white or yellow is fine. I go back and forth between the both all the time)

1/4 cup flour (you can use whole wheat flour to make it healthier and it turns out just fine)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk

About 4 tablespoons of oil (I always use canola)

Preheat oven to 450. Before mixing cornbread put all oil in baking pan and put in oven while oven is preheating.

Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside. (There is nothing worse than having a "soda ball" in your cornbread when you're eating it, ick) In another bowl add cornmeal, egg and buttermilk and whisk together until mixed. Add flour mixture and whisk until mixed.

Next take out your pan from the oven. Be very careful!! Oil gets extremely hot fast. I have to get a potholder and wear a thick hot mitten to keep my hand from burning just for those few seconds of holding the pan! Pour about half of the hot oil in your cornbread mixture and whisk in quickly. It will sizzle loud! As soon as you mix it together pour cornbread mixture into the pan and put back in the oven. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. You want it to have a nice golden brown top but don't want it to burn on the sides.

If you bake this in the 6 inch skillet it will make 4 large pieces of cornbread, or 6 generous size pieces. If you make this recipe in the pan it will be thinner (since it is a larger pan). This recipe doubles excellent!

Some tips on making the cornbread:

I don't measure out my oil!! The more oil you have to coat the bottom of your pan the crispier your crust will be on your cornbread. I just eye it.

This cornbread is not salty so it's great when you add salted butter to it when it's hot. yumm!