Ben's #1 Southern Cornbread

By RoketJSquerl

This is the real deal. Made in a cast iron skillet, it is both thin and crusty on the outside, and tender on the inside. This is not sweet like northern cornbread, but it is authentic and tastes oh so good! Serve with butter, drizzeled with honey or molasses, or just break it up in a tall glass of cold milk, and serve with vidalia onions.

Ingredients

• 4 Teaspoons Bacon Drippings or 1 Tablespoon Melted Butter and 1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal, preferably stone ground
• 1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Table Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 Large Egg, beaten lightly

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set 10-inch cast-iron skillet with bacon fat (or vegetable oil) in heating oven.
2. Mix cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.
3. Whisk in buttermilk gradually, breaking up lumps until smooth, then whisk in egg. When oven is preheated and skillet very hot, fully remove skillet from oven. Pour hot bacon fat (or melted butter) from the skillet into the batter and stir to incorporate, then quickly pour batter into heated skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and instantly turn cornbread onto wire rack; cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.