Cornbread
Cornbread has roots predating European colonization, with Native American peoples cultivating and grinding corn centuries before colonists arrived, who quickly adapted the technique for their own everyday bread, especially in the South, where wheat grew less easily than corn. The recipe quickly became a staple food for African American slaves, poor families, and pioneers expanding westward, precisely because of corn's low cost and availability. The debate about sugar remains one of the most passionate in American cuisine — traditionalist Southerners insist that real cornbread contains no sugar at all, meant as a savory accompaniment to dishes like beans or greens, while the versions from the North, often commercial, add significant amounts of sugar, coming closer to a cake. The cast-iron skillet inherited from grandmothers, seasoned by years of use, is considered by many Southern families essential to the correct recipe, with some skillets proudly passed down across generations.
Coarsely ground cornmeal
Coarsely ground, stone-ground cornmeal gives the slightly crunchy, granular texture specific to authentic Southern cornbread.
Well-heated cast-iron skillet
Fat heats in a heavy cast-iron skillet in the oven before the batter is poured in, instantly forming a crisp, browned crust on the outside.
Buttermilk instead of regular milk
Tangy buttermilk activates the baking soda and adds a slightly acidic note that balances the corn's mild sweetness.
Sugarless variant, a regional debate
The traditional Southern version contains no sugar, unlike the sweeter variants from the northern part of the country, a difference that fuels passionate debates.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 250 g coarsely ground cornmeal
- 100 g white flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 400 ml buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 60 g melted butter
- 3 tbsp lard or oil for the skillet
How to make it
- 1A heavy cast-iron skillet goes into the oven at one hundred ninety degrees, together with the lard or oil, letting it heat well for ten minutes.
- 2Cornmeal, white flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt are mixed in a large bowl, forming the dry base of the batter.
- 3Buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter are beaten together in a separate bowl, until fully combined.
- 4The liquid mixture is poured over the dry ingredients, stirring quickly with a spatula just until combined — an overmixed batter would produce a dense, tough bread.
- 5The hot skillet is carefully removed from the oven using thick oven mitts, and the hot fat is swirled to fully coat the bottom and sides.
- 6The batter is poured directly into the hot skillet, a loud sizzle sounding on contact with the fat — this sound guarantees a crispy crust.
- 7The skillet goes immediately back into the oven, baking for twenty to twenty-five minutes, until the bread turns golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 8The cornbread rests five minutes in the skillet before being sliced, served warm, often with fresh butter on top.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
