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A crackling-crusted cast iron cornbread rich with butter and tradition, baked to golden perfection as Southern families have done for generations to welcome prosperity in the new year.
In the South, what you eat on New Year's Day matters. Black-eyed peas for luck. Collard greens for folding money. And cornbread, always cornbread, for the gold that will fill your pockets in the months ahead. This isn't superstition. It's ritual. And ritual deserves respect.
The cornbread I'm teaching you here follows the method my grandmother used, and her grandmother before her. A screaming-hot cast iron skillet. Real bacon drippings or butter sizzling in the pan. Batter poured in so it crackles and spits. That's how you get the crust, that shattering golden edge that distinguishes proper Southern cornbread from the cakey, sweet stuff Yankees pass off as the real thing.
I've made this bread for gatherings of eight and gatherings of eighty. It scales beautifully. You can mix your dry ingredients a week ahead, prep your wet ingredients the morning of, and assemble just before your guests arrive. The whole thing bakes in under half an hour. By the time everyone's settled with a drink in hand, you're pulling golden prosperity from the oven.
There's no sugar in this recipe. That's not an oversight. Traditional Southern cornbread lets the corn speak for itself, its natural sweetness amplified by the heat and the fat. If you must add sugar, I won't stop you. But try it without, just once. You might discover what your great-grandmother already knew.
Quantity
2 cups
Quantity
1 cup
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
2 cups
Quantity
2
Quantity
6 tablespoons total
4 tablespoons melted for batter, 2 tablespoons for skillet
Quantity
2 tablespoons
or substitute additional butter
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| stone-ground yellow cornmeal | 2 cups |
| all-purpose flour | 1 cup |
| baking powder | 1 tablespoon |
| fine sea salt | 1 teaspoon |
| baking soda | 1/2 teaspoon |
| buttermilk, well-shaken | 2 cups |
| large eggs | 2 |
| unsalted butter4 tablespoons melted for batter, 2 tablespoons for skillet | 6 tablespoons total |
| bacon drippings (optional)or substitute additional butter | 2 tablespoons |
Position your rack in the center of the oven and set the temperature to 425°F. Place your cast iron skillet inside while the oven heats. This takes a full 20 minutes. Don't rush it. A properly heated skillet is the difference between ordinary cornbread and the kind people remember.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until thoroughly combined. Run your fingers through the mixture. You should feel no lumps. The color should be uniform, a pale gold flecked with the slightly darker cornmeal.
In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs until the yolks are fully incorporated. The mixture should look smooth and slightly frothy. Add the 4 tablespoons of melted butter and whisk again. You'll see the butter form small pools and ribbons through the buttermilk. That's exactly right.
When your oven reaches temperature, carefully remove the blazing-hot skillet using heavy oven mitts. Set it on a heat-safe surface. Add the bacon drippings (or butter) and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. The fat should shimmer and smoke slightly. This is not a gentle process. You want that sizzle.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, using no more than 15 to 20 strokes. The batter should look slightly lumpy and rough. Overmixing develops gluten and produces tough, dense bread. Stop when you no longer see dry streaks of flour.
Immediately pour the batter into the hot, greased skillet. It will crackle and hiss around the edges. This is the sound of the crust forming. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly if needed, but work fast. Every second the skillet sits on your counter, it's cooling.
Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The edges will have pulled slightly away from the sides of the pan, and the surface will have cracked in places. These cracks are beautiful. Don't fear them.
Let the cornbread rest in the skillet for 5 minutes. This allows it to set and makes slicing easier. Run a butter knife around the edge, then invert onto a wooden board or serving plate. Or serve it right from the skillet, cut into wedges, with a pat of soft butter melting into each piece. In Southern tradition, serve alongside black-eyed peas, collard greens, and ham for a complete New Year's feast.
1 serving (about 115g)
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