Skillet & Stove

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

Classic Southern skillet cornbread with a crisp, crackly crust — preheat the cast iron with fat, mix one bowl of buttermilk batter, and bake at 425°F.

By Stephen V.Last updated How we pick

Southern skillet cornbread is defined by its crust — a deep, crackly, almost fried edge that a cake pan can’t reproduce. The trick is the pan itself. A cast iron skillet, preheated empty in a hot oven with a spoonful of fat in the bottom, becomes a searing-hot cooking surface. When the batter hits that sizzling fat it sets and browns on contact, giving you a crisp shell and the audible crackle when you cut in. Iron’s heat retention keeps the sides and bottom hot through the whole bake, so the crust stays crisp instead of going soft.

This is honest Southern cornbread: mostly cornmeal, little to no sugar, and buttermilk for tang and lift. If you grew up on the sweet, cakey kind, this will taste more like corn and less like dessert — which is the point. It pairs with chili, greens, soups and barbecue, and it comes together in one bowl and one pan in about ten minutes of hands-on work.

Method

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven and the skillet

    Put a 10-inch cast iron skillet on the middle rack and heat the oven to 425°F. Let the empty skillet heat for at least 10 minutes while you mix the batter, so it is fully hot when the fat goes in.

  2. 2

    Whisk the dry ingredients

    In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt (and the sugar, if using) until evenly combined and no clumps remain.

  3. 3

    Add the wet ingredients

    In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk and eggs together. Pour into the dry ingredients along with the 3 tablespoons of melted butter and stir just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine, and overmixing makes it tough.

  4. 4

    Grease the hot skillet

    Carefully pull the hot skillet out (the handle is screaming hot — use a dry mitt). Add the 2 tablespoons of fat and swirl to coat the bottom and up the sides. It should sizzle on contact.

  5. 5

    Pour in the batter

    Immediately pour the batter into the center of the hot skillet. You should hear it sizzle around the edges — that sizzle is the crust forming. Spread the top level with a spatula.

  6. 6

    Bake

    Return the skillet to the oven and bake at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden, the edges pull away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  7. 7

    Cool briefly and serve

    Let the cornbread rest in the pan for 5 minutes so the crust firms up. Run a knife around the edge, then invert onto a rack or board, or simply cut wedges straight from the skillet. Serve warm with butter.

Gear that matters.Any well-seasoned cast iron skillet works, but a 10 to 10.25-inch pan is the classic size and gives you the right batter depth for a crisp edge and a tender crumb. If you’re buying your first one, an inexpensive Lodge is all this recipe needs; see the best cast iron skilletsfor the picks we’d actually buy.

Tips.Bacon fat gives the best flavor and the deepest crust; butter is a close second but can brown fast in the hot pan, so move quickly. Preheating the pan with fat isn’t only for crust — that hot, oiled bake is the same process that maintains the pan’s seasoning, so a well-used cornbread skillet only gets better. Afterward, let the pan cool, wipe or rinse it out, dry it thoroughly on the stove, and rub in a thin coat of oil. For a sweeter, cakier cornbread, add the tablespoon of sugar; for classic Southern style, leave it out.

Frequently asked questions

Why do you preheat the skillet for cornbread?

Preheating the empty skillet, then adding fat, gives you a searing-hot surface. When the batter hits it, the edges and bottom start browning immediately, which is what creates cornbread's signature crisp, crackly crust. A cold pan just steams the batter and the crust never sets.

Do you have to use buttermilk?

Buttermilk gives the best tang and, with baking soda, the best rise, but you can substitute. Make a quick version by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 1/2 cups of regular milk and letting it sit 5 minutes. Plain yogurt thinned with a little milk also works.

Is skillet cornbread supposed to be sweet?

Traditional Southern cornbread is savory — little or no sugar, so it tastes of corn and pairs with chili, greens and barbecue. Northern-style cornbread is sweeter and cakier. This recipe is savory by default, with an optional tablespoon of sugar if you prefer a touch of sweetness.

How do I keep cornbread from sticking to the cast iron?

Two things: a well-seasoned pan, and enough hot fat swirled up the sides before the batter goes in. Let the baked cornbread rest 5 minutes before turning it out, which lets the crust firm up and release cleanly. A bare or poorly seasoned pan is the usual culprit when it sticks.

Sources

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