Southern Cornbread

Fill your kitchen with the smell of fresh baked cornbread ready in half an hour.

A super buttery, moist, and easy cornbread recipe with a fluffy centre and the good crumb, this is the homemade cornbread recipe you have been searching for!

Made from scratch in a cast iron skillet with easy to find ingredients you already have in your kitchen. You will fall in love with cornbread all over again!

Best Cornbread Recipe

A great cornbread recipe is so hard to come by. They are either too dry, too dense, or bland without any flavour. In our family, there are two kinds we can't live without: a sweet buttermilk cornbread with honey OR this one!

If you haven't tried homemade cornbread before, you are going to love this. A buttery bread with the right balance of flavor and the good cornmeal to flour ratio, this traditional cornbread recipe makes the ideal snack or good side dish to go with a bowl of chili creamy soupsor slow-cooked stews.

You can also use it as the base for our cornbread dressinganother incredibly good Thanksgiving stuffing. It's not Thanksgiving without it!

Why the Flour-to-Cornmeal Ratio Matters

Getting the right texture comes to exactly how much flour you mix with your cornmeal. If you use pure cornmeal, the bread will turn out dry and fall apart the second you cut into it.

Cornmeal does not have glutenso it needs help to hold its shape. Adding flour gives the batter the structure it needs to rise and stay soft inside. We find that an almost equal split is the key to having a reliable cornbread recipe from scratch. You get the corn flavour that you want, but with a tender crumb that actually holds when you dip it into your dinner.

On the stove

Start by preheating your oven to 200°C/400°F and positioning a rack in the middle. We recommend a 9-inch cast iron skillet or a square baking dish.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. From here, you have 2 options:

• Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, starting with the buttermilk and eggs. Once combined, add the cooled melted butter. Open a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture in.

OR mix everything in one bowl.

• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and eggs. Stir them first, then pour in the cooled, melted butter. Fold everything until just combined.

Be careful not to overmix the batter at this stage; overmixing makes the texture tough instead of tender.

Bread gets its crunchy crust when the batter is poured into a sizzling hot pan. The cast iron retains heat while baking, which is what gives you a dark crust and firm edges.

Skillet Cornbread

If you are making the recipe in a cast iron skilletheat it on the stove to melt the butter. The skillet will be hot enough to add the batter right then. This method is quicker than using an oven.

If you do not have a cast iron panan ovenproof skillet or baking dish will work. Make sure you heat it up in the oven first before pouring in your batter. The sizzle that comes out of your pan is what you want to hear when making skillet cornbread!

Finally, bake until the centre is set, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. (About 20-23 minutes)

No more searching for another easy cornbread recipe, because this method is completely fuss-free.

Common Troubleshooting

Nothing is worse than taking the time to make a homemade cornbread recipe only to have it fall apart on your plate. If your bread ends up crumbly, it usually means the batter was overmixed or the ratio of flour to cornmeal was off. Always fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until they meet.

A gummy center happens when the bread is sliced too soon. We know it is tempting to cut into it straight out of the oven, but letting it rest in the pan for 10 minutes allows the steam to escape and the crumb to set properly.

Buying the right cornmeal is also a big factor in getting the texture right. Grabbing corn flour or masa harina by accident is a common mistake that will leave you with a dense block.

When shopping for this traditional cornbread recipe, look for actual cornmeal. We prefer a finely ground yellow cornmeal for a smooth finish, but a medium grind gives a great bite. Just stay away from extremely coarse grits!

Serve it with

A warm slice is exactly what you want next to a plate of barbecue ribs or pulled pork. We always make a double batch of this easy cornbread for summer cookouts and family dinners because it vanishes fast.

This recipe is the ideal side dish for scooping up baked beans, serving alongside a big piece of oven-fried chickenor even just eating on its own for a quick snack.

You cannot go wrong when you slather a fresh slice with a little extra butter and a drizzle of honey.

Recipe FAQ's

Originally, corn bread or cornbread is a 'native' American dish. A wonderfully light, crumbly bread that can be sweet or plain, it has a distinct, almost grainy texture and flavour that makes it good to be served as a side.

The real secret to a moist cornbread recipe is the combination of buttermilk and a hot cast iron skillet. The buttermilk keeps the crumb tender and stops it from drying out, while the preheated pan ensures the edges firm up beautifully the second the batter hits it.

It depends on the style you prefer. This homemade cornbread recipe focuses on a classic profile with plenty of natural corn flavor. If you like a sweeter bite, you can add a little sugar or honey, but traditional versions usually keep the sweetness minimal.

A southern cornbread recipe is generally made with little to no sugar and baked in a hot skillet with bacon drippings or butter to get a crust. Regular or Northern-style cornbread is often much sweeter and more cake-like.

4.98 from 79 votes

Cornbread Recipe

What you need

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted, or bacon drippings
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal or polenta
• 1 tablespoon sugar optional
• 2 teaspoons baking powder optional: yields a fluffier cornbread
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk shake before measuring
• 2 eggs large

Method

1. Lightly grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square baking dish with butter and place skillet/dish into the oven to heat up.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder (If using), baking soda and salt.
3. Add the buttermilk and eggs. Stir them together first, then pour in the cooled, melted butter. Fold everything together until just combined.
4. Carefully remove your 'hot' pan or dish from the oven with oven mitts, and pour the batter into the hot skillet or dish. Listen to that sizzle! That's what you want.
5. Bake until the cornbread begins to brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean (about 20-23 minutes).