Crusty Cornbread

Contributors

Cookbook

Down Home with the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook

Published by Knopf

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This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

Pat: A cast-iron skillet is, far and away, the best pan for cooking this cornbread. In fact, we don’t prepare it in anything else. Preheating the skillet in the oven creates a crispy golden crust, and it really seems to help the batter pop up and rise beautifully during the baking process. We serve the warm cornbread straight from the skillet with a big ole wooden spoon. For a richer flavor, you can melt an additional 2 tablespoons of butter over the top of the cornbread when it comes out of the oven.

Makes6 to 8 servings

Cooking MethodBaking

CostInexpensive

Easy

Total Timeunder 1 hour

Kid FriendlyYes

OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Family Get-together

Recipe CourseSide Dish

Dietary ConsiderationPeanut Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free

MealBreakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch

MoodBlue

Taste and TextureButtery, Crisp

Type of DishQuickbreads

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups finely ground yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2¼ cups milk
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tablespoons rendered bacon fat (or butter, shortening, or vegetable oil)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and heat for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the batter.
Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Use a fork or spatula to stir until evenly combined.
Remove the skillet from the oven, add the bacon fat to the skillet, and swirl to coat. Pour the batter into the skillet and, using a spatula, spread the batter evenly across the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly golden and firm and springy to the touch.