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+ servings

Cream of the Crop Cornbread

This Southern-style buttermilk skillet cornbread gets a flavor boost from homemade creamed corn and stone-ground cornmeal.
Although there are few things I love more than sitting in a dark closet with a big spoon and an entire batch of creamed corn, occasionally I make extra specifically to use in this bread, which is pretty much the best skillet cornbread I’ve ever made.
And no, using stone-ground cornmeal isn’t me just being all foodie and stuff. “Stone-ground” means slowly ground, and that means low heat and preserved flavor. “Stone-ground” also means coarse, and that supplies a toothsome texture to this bread, which is satisfying enough to serve as a main course…that’s right, bread as a main course.
Both U.S. standard and metric measurements are listed, but for deliciously consistent results, go metric.
This recipe first appeared in Season 2 of Good Eats.
Creamed corn cornbread in a cast iron skillet.
ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Software

  • 2 1/4 cups stone-ground cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 10 fluid ounces low-fat buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup creamed corn, homemade strongly recommended
  • 2 tablespoons corn or vegetable oil

Specialized Hardware

Procedure

  • Heat oven to 425ºF and place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the middle of the center rack.
  • Whisk the cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large mixing bowl.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the buttermilk, the eggs, and creamed corn.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. If the batter seems a little thick, add a bit more of the buttermilk.
  • Pour the oil into the hot skillet and carefully swirl to coat. Pour in the batter and jiggle the pan to evenly distribute. Bake until the bread is golden brown and springs back when touched, or a digital instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the bread registers 200 to 205°, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool for several minutes. Place an inverted dinner place on top of the bread and flip it out of the skillet.
  • Serve with butter.