Say less 😄 Here’s real-deal Southern cornbread—crispy edges, tender middle, no sugar (because we’re civilized).
Classic Southern Cornbread (Cast-Iron Style)
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (stone-ground if you can)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 2–3 tbsp bacon grease (or butter if you must)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
Put your cast-iron skillet in the oven with the bacon grease so it gets screaming hot. - In a bowl, mix cornmeal, salt, and baking soda.
- Whisk buttermilk and egg together, then stir into the dry ingredients. Batter should be pourable but thick.
- Carefully pull the hot skillet out, swirl the grease to coat, then pour the batter in. It should sizzle immediately—this is non-negotiable.
- Bake 18–22 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides.
- Flip it out or slice straight from the skillet like a rebel.
How Southerners Actually Eat It
- Crumbled into buttermilk
- With collard greens or black-eyed peas
- Slathered in butter, maybe honey if nobody’s watching
Optional (but controversial)
- A little flour (¼ cup) if you want it softer
- Chopped jalapeños or cracklins
- Onion (VERY Alabama-coded)
If you want extra crispy, extra fluffy, or a version for no cast iron, say the word.
