Simple, delicious, and perfectly Southern, we love this cornbread with a hearty bowl of chili or classic collard greens.
Classic Southern Cornbread
Makes 1 (8- to 12-inch) loaf
Ingredients
8-inch skillet
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 cup plain white or yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ cups whole buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
10-inch skillet
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 cups plain white or yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2½ cups whole buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
12-inch skillet
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 cups plain white or yellow cornmeal
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 5 cups whole buttermilk
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
8-inch skillet
- Preheat oven to 425°. Pour oil into a deep 8-inch cast-iron skillet. Place pan in oven until oil is very hot, about 8 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, and egg. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Add buttermilk mixture; stir until combined. Carefully pour batter into hot oil.
- Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
10-inch skillet
- Follow previous directions using a 10-inch skillet; bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 27 minutes.
12-inch skillet
- Follow previous directions using a 12-inch skillet; bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
What magazine was this recipe in?
This recipe was first published in our Winter 2016 issue.
How long to cool?
Best to serve cornbread immediately to preserve the crunchy bottom crust.
Recipe for Classic Southern Cornbread
I question the amounts of the ingredients see below also check the 8, 10-in recipes
12-inch skillet
3 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups plain white or yellow cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
5 cups whole buttermilk
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs
You will find that a lot of southern cooks (I came from a family of them) will use bacon grease in the skillet. My G-grandmother made the best cornbread and it was hard for anyone to copy the recipe just like hers.
Can you substitute the buttermilk.
?
Came out great but ended up taking me closer to 35 minutes for the 10 inch recipe.
I’m adding bacon bits, green onion, jalapenos, and cheddar cheese to mine, skipping the canola oil, and pouring the batter into the bacon grease in a hot skillet before transferring it to the oven.
12 inch took almost an hour and was awesome.
12 inch took more time than posted but it was great.