Skillet Cornbread

This is honest Southern-style skillet cornbread: golden and crisp-edged from a screaming-hot pan, soft and moist inside, and only just sweet. Preheating the buttered skillet is the whole trick, giving you that signature crackly base. It comes together in one bowl and bakes in 25 minutes.

Real cornbread lives or dies by its crust. Pour the batter into a hot, buttered cast-iron skillet and the edges sizzle instantly, setting into a crisp golden shell around a tender, moist crumb. This version leans Southern: cornmeal-forward, gently sweet, and rich with buttermilk. It is a quick one-bowl bake that turns any bowl of chilli or stew into a proper meal.

Ingredients

• 50g unsalted butter — plus a little extra for the pan
• 200g fine or medium cornmeal — polenta works; avoid coarse
• 120g plain flour
• 2 tbsp caster sugar — leave out for a savoury loaf
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 300ml buttermilk — or 300ml milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice, rested 5 min
• 2 large eggs

Method

1. Put a 23cm cast-iron skillet (or a sturdy ovenproof frying tin) into the oven and heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Let the pan get properly hot while you mix.
2. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a large bowl until evenly combined.
3. In a jug, whisk the buttermilk and eggs together. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly, then whisk most of it into the wet mix, holding back about a teaspoon for greasing.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick but pourable; a few lumps are fine, so do not beat it smooth.
5. Carefully take the hot skillet out of the oven. Add the reserved butter and swirl it up the sides so the whole surface is glossy and sizzling.
6. Pour the batter into the hot pan in one go; it should hiss around the edges. Spread the top level with the spatula.
7. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the edges have pulled away from the pan, and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
8. Let it settle in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out or cut into wedges and serve warm with plenty of butter.

Serve it with

• A bowl of chilli con carne
• Pulled pork or barbecue ribs
• Honey or maple syrup for drizzling
• Softened salted butter
• A pot of smoky black-eyed bean stew

Why this works

The preheated, buttered skillet flash-fries the outside of the batter the instant it lands, setting a crisp crust before the middle has time to steam, so you get crunch and a soft crumb in the same slice.

Common swaps

• Stir in 100g grated mature Cheddar and a chopped jalapeno for a savoury, spicy version
• Fold through a drained 200g tin of sweetcorn for extra bite and moisture
• Swap 50g of the cornmeal for polenta if you want a coarser, more rustic texture
• Use half wholemeal flour for a nuttier, heartier loaf

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the hot pan; a cold skillet gives a pale, soft base with no crust
• Overmixing the batter, which develops gluten and turns the crumb tough and rubbery
• Using coarse cornmeal, which stays gritty and refuses to soften in the bake
• Cutting straight away; it needs 10 minutes to firm up or it crumbles apart

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Keep wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; it dries out fast, so cover it well.

Freezing: Freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap wedges individually in foil, then bag, and defrost at room temperature.

Reheating: Warm wedges in a 180C oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or split and toast the cut sides in a little butter for a crisp finish.

Allergen notes: contains Gluten, Milk, Egg. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.