Cast Iron Cornbread

Cornbread was one of our best selling items in our Southern BBQ restaurants. This was a recipe we came up with that our customers loved.

Cornbread is a classic American quick bread known for its distinctively sweet and savory flavor, dense yet crumbly texture, and golden-brown crust. It is made primarily from cornmeal, flour, eggs, milk or buttermilk, baking powder, and often a sweetener like sugar or honey. Traditional Southern recipes may include bacon fat or lard for added richness. Cornbread can be baked in various forms, such as in a skillet, muffin tin, or baking dish, and it’s typically served as a side dish alongside hearty meals like chili, barbecue, or fried chicken. It is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed plain, with butter, or drizzled with honey for added sweetness. Cornbread is cherished for its comforting taste and simplicity, making it a beloved staple in American cuisine.

Allergen Warnings

This recipe may contain the following allergens. Please check all ingredient labels thoroughly

Cornbread

Cornbread is a classic American quick bread known for its distinctively sweet and savory flavor, dense yet crumbly texture, and golden-brown crust. It is made primarily from cornmeal, flour, eggs, milk or buttermilk, baking powder, and often a sweetener like sugar or honey.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 10 servings

Equipment

• 1 30cm cast iron pan 12"
• 2 Bowls 1 wet, 1 dry
• 1 Bowl or sauce pot to melt butter
• 1 Bowl to whisk eggs Can Also use butter bowl

Ingredients

  

• 165 gram Cornmeal 1 cup
• 375 gram Buttermilk 1 and ⅓ Cup
• 1 each Egg
• 80 gram Butter ⅓ Cup
• 30 gram Butter for pan to keep from sticking
• 200 gram Flour, sifted if needed 1 and ⅓ cup
• 20 gram Baking Powder 1.5 tbsp
• 6 gram Kosher Salt 1 tsp
• 99 gram Sugar, White ½ cup

Instructions

 

• Turn on your oven and put your cast iron pan on the middle shelf. For convection turn it on to 163 C / 325 F for regular 190C / 375F. While waiting for the oven to warm up
• Wet Step 1: Weigh out cornmeal (165g / 1 cup) and buttermilk (375g/ 1 ⅓ cup) and mix together. Let sit for 10 minutes. Melt butter during this time, don’t let it get too warm, just melted. I melt butter in the microwave at 50% power for 50 seconds, microwaves vary and yours is most likely different. Or melt the butter on the stove in a pot.
• Wet Step 2: After the 10 minutes is up, pour the butter into the cornmeal mix. Stir to incorporate. Take your egg, and whisk gently with fork, whisk, spoon, chopstick whatever is available and works. Then pour this into your wet batter and mix to fully incorporate.
• Dry Step 1: Take all of your dry ingredients and blend them together in a bowl, mix well to fully incorporate. Flour (200g / 1 ⅔ cup), Sugar (99g / ½ cup), Baking Powder (20g / 1 ½ tbsp), Salt (6g / 1tsp)
• Final step: Treat your cornbread batter as you would muffin batter, dry ingredients to be blended into wet ingredients fully turning about 10-15 times. Incorporate all ingredients together, the less you can turn it with a spatula the better. Do not do this step until just before you are ready to put it in. The longer it sits the less it will rise.
• Putting it in the oven: Take the extra butter (30g / 2 tbsp) and put it in the hot cast iron. Close the oven door, once it melts take out your cast iron pan and pour the corn bread blend into the cast iron. Put back into the middle shelf and close. Put timer on for 20 minutes, at the 20 minute mark turn your corn bread around 180 degrees. Put timer on for 10 more minutes.
• At the 30 minute mark take a temperature of your cornbread. If it’s over 91C or 200F it is done cooking. Since all ovens are different please make sure you monitor the last few minutes of cooking. If you don’t want to take a temperature of the cornbread, then use grandma’s toothpick method.

Notes

Notes:

Important Note: Make sure you do not mix the wet and dry steps too early, literally do this right before you put it in the oven. The longer you let it sit, the better the chance of it not rising.If you don’t have buttermilk you can make it at home. Use milk (375g / 1 ⅓ cup) and add Vinegar or Lemon Juice (20g / 1 ⅓ tbsp), stir together, and let sit for 10 minutes. Use vinegar if available, the acidity is constant.

Every oven is different, these are guidelines only. Cornbread is pretty forgiving and if you want too just turn up the temp, just pay attention to the internal temperature of the product.

As with all recipes if you make changes your results might be different. Don’t be afraid to add ingredients like corn or jalapeno’s just keep in mind any extra liquid may mean you need to slightly adjust buttermilk (less). Have fun, let me know what you think! Send me pictures if you can.

Gluten Free:  One of our users wrote “The only thing I did different was use a 1:1 gluten free flour and it worked perfectly.” So if you have a gluten intolerence this will work.  Thank you Joanie for the great tip. 

Keyword Comfort Food, Cornbread, Cornmeal, Crumbly Texture, QuickBread, Skillet, Southern Cuisine, Sweet and Savory