Here in the South, a good cornbread recipe is a prized possession. Every Southern cook has their own take on it, often passed down from generation to generation with a well-seasoned iron skillet. For years, this regional delicacy has eluded me–until this weekend.
That’s right. I made cornbread–moist, fluffy, tasty, Southern gold. And (as is so often the case) it totally happened by mistake. You see, like a lazy Southern cook, I never keep buttermilk on hand. I do, however, have a tendency to throw dollops of Greek yogurt into just about anything I bake. In this case, the food gods smiled, and it worked out beautifully. So here it is, making it’s official debut: Hannah & Husband’s cornbread recipe–heretofore to be passed down from generation to generation with our well-seasoned iron skillet.
Hannah & Husband’s Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients:
6 Tblsp unsalted butter, + a little extra (I split a stick.)
1 cup cornmeal
3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tblsp sugar
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
1⁄4 tsp sea salt
2 eggs
1 cup 2% milk
1⁄2 cup plain Greek yogurt
Also needed… an 8″ iron skillet
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425° F.
Grease your 8″ iron skillet with the extra unsalted butter.
In a medium sized bowl, mix your dry ingredients and set aside.
In a small glass bowl, melt the unsalted butter.
Then, add the rest of the wet ingredients (eggs, milk, and yogurt), and mix well.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and fold it in with a spoon. It’s ok if it’s still lumpy.
Pour everything into your skillet and put it in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. (Use the skewer test to be sure it’s fully cooked.)
When you take out the cornbread, butter the top immediately with any extra unsalted butter, and let it sit for a few minutes to cool before serving.
Ideas for serving:
Serve with a rack of ribs, like we did this weekend, or a hot bowl of chili. Here’s our basic chili recipe.
I *love* using jalapeño butter to mix things up a bit. Here’s my favorite recipe from a 2011 issue of Southern Living.
Craving a mid-afternoon sweet? Try some butter and jam. Get our strawberry jam recipe here.
Not sure how to care for your iron skillet? Here is our primer. Bonus: A link to (one of my favorite Southern cooks) Rebecca Gordon’s cornbread recipe!
So… is there a recipe that has eluded you for years?
Something you’ve tried and tried with no success?
Share it in the comments. Perhaps we could figure it out together!
One thing I’ve always done is to put the greased iron skillet in the oven while it’s preheating and you’re mixing up the batter. Once the batter is ready, pour it into the heated iron skillet. Makes for a crunchier crust for me.