Table of Contents
Introduction
Skillet Cornbread is a favorite ingredient in some southern cooking and is particularly good when served alongside many recipes. This is a snap to make the best skillet cornbread – It’s tender and moist inside with a wonderful golden brown crust on the bottom, all in 30 minutes!
Cornbread made in a cast iron pan will provide you with a crispy crust, and pleasing, golden hue on the outside. This recipe includes just the right ratio of cornmeal to flour which makes my southern-style chili cornbread perfect for serving with chili, barbecue, soups, etc. After that, read on for all the tips you need to make the best skillet cornbread you will ever taste.
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter and additional butter.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven and prepare the skillet.
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Pour the batter into a 10-inch cast iron skillet you heated in the oven for at least 10 minutes, making sure it is super hot before pouring your batter into it. You can also, before browning, melt the butter in that skillet so it nicely glazes the pan, just don’t forget to move around the butter a little so all the surface of the skillet is fully covered.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and preheat the oven to 425 F. If it is still lumpy use a fork to mix it well. This helps to moor the ingredients uniformly and provides you with tender cornbread.
3. Whisk in the Wet Ingredients
In another bowl, mix milk, vegetable oil, and the egg until well beaten. Specifically, the egg is used to help to hold the other ingredients together. Slowly add the wet ingredients and pour them into the bowl of the dry ingredients.
4. Combine and Pour Batter
Using a rubber spatula, fold the wet and dry ingredients together without overmixing them. If you overmix the batter, the cornbread will be very dense, so don’t overmix! Grease the hot cast iron skillet and pour the babies gently into that. Finally, using your spatula or spoon, level the surface of the cake on the top.
5. Bake the Cornbread
Transfer the batter to a prepared large baking pan (preferably round) and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the top is a beautiful golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Depending on how hot your skillet was before this step, your baking time may slightly differ.
Removing the wedges of the cornbread from the skillet takes some time. Let the cornbread stand in the skillet for at least 10 minutes. Cut into 8 triangles and they are best enjoyed warm!
Pro Tips
- It is recommended that only stone ground cornmeal be used, for it has the best texture or corn taste. Leftover cornmeal should be slipped into an airtight container in the pantry and used within one year.
- Keep in mind to never put oil or batter into a very well-heated cast iron skillet. They do this to be sure of the crispy edges we all love so much.
- Don’t peek at the cornbread until the minimum recommended baking time has elapsed! It has to have the heat inside the oven all the time, but every time the door is open, it will affect the rise and texture.
- In this recipe, the sugar used reduces the bitter taste that is associated with stone-ground cornmeal. If using plain cornmeal, you are advised to lower the amount of sugar added.
- Additionally, you should cool the cornbread in its skillet since this will help the baking along, to a moist crumb.
Check Out: Brioche Bread Recipe.
Serving Suggestions
This versatile cornbread is delicious on its own but also pairs well with so many dishes like:
- Chili – Anything from beef or turkey to even vegetarian chili is best served hot on top.
- Food WIKI for soup lovers – Soups & Stews – Sprinkle over chili or sausage & bean soups.
- Breakfast – A wedge with scrambled egg, a boiled egg, or bacon or sausage would be perfect to kick-start the day.
- Sides – End any Southern-style meal with this traditional cornbread out.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Cornbread is best when consumed on the same day it is made but in case you have some remaining (if you’re lucky!), be sure to cover and leave at room temperature, it will only last for 2–3 days. To freeze cornbread for a longer span, wrap it with a plastic wrap and then put it in a freezer bag, which should be used within three months. Freeze and thaw at room temperature and bake at 300°F for approximately 10 minutes before serving if necessary.
Conclusion
This easy skillet cornbread comes to show how perfect cast iron skillet baking can turn out: crispy and tender and just oh so fun. This all-American cornbread is a great accompaniment to any meal at any time of the day, take or leave the ingredients to your preference. Ready yourselves for a mind-blowing experience of how simple a recipe is yet in the same breath you admire the fact that the resulting dish was so delicious when prepared correctly.
Have your favorite chili, stew, or barbecue dish been prepared for the ultimate bread companion? Here is your perfect classic skillet cornbread recipe ready for the next bake and your every Southern bread fix.
For more info: Click Here.
FAQs about Skillet Cornbread
Is it possible to fry in aluminum foil instead of cast iron?
But we will stress not to use aluminum foil in place of a cast iron skillet for this recipe. Skillet cornbread is prepared with a hot cast iron pot, to get the crunchy surface and light-brown crust. Powdered aluminum would probably simply give you that softness in steaming, rather than that great cornbread crunch.
What kind do you recommend in Skillet Cornbread?
When it comes to achieving the best taste and cornbread crumbs, we advise you to use stone-ground yellow cornmeal. If you want a richer taste processed from actual corn with a coarser texture due to hull as well as germ bits, then stone-ground cornmeal is what you need. Most of the cornmeal that is still on the shelves should be retained in well-sealed containers so that they do not get rancid.
Is it possible to bake Skillet Cornbread muffins?
Absolutely, contrary to what many believe, and as you can see in some of the pictures from my lovely readers, you can bake this cornbread batter in muffins too! Just mix the same better as instructed in the recipe, use 12 cups of greased muffin pan, and make sure each compartment is 2/3 full. Either reduce the baking time down to 15–18 minutes till the top cornbread muffin has a golden brown crust on top, and it seems to be firm to the touch.
Insert the toothpick in one muffin and check if it comes out clean; cool for 5 minutes before taking it out from the pan. Savor the convenience of single-serve cornbread muffins hot right out of the oven!
