Cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet is a different thing from cornbread baked in a regular baking pan. The cast iron surface, properly preheated, creates an immediate crust on the bottom and sides of the bread the moment the batter hits the pan. The interior stays moist and tender. The exterior is firm and golden with a slight crunch that a glass baking dish will never produce.
This is one of those recipes where the specific pan genuinely changes the result rather than just being a preference. A Lodge cast iron skillet — 10-inch for a standard batch — is the right tool. Le Creuset cast iron works equally well but the price difference between a Lodge and a Le Creuset doesn’t produce a noticeably better cornbread.
The batter
1 cup of fine cornmeal, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, half a teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of sugar. Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl: one cup of buttermilk, two eggs, four tablespoons of melted butter. Whisk to combine.
Pour the wet into the dry. Stir until just combined — a few lumps remaining is fine. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and produces tough cornbread. Mix until the dry flour disappears and stop.
Preheating the pan — the step that makes the crust
Put the cast iron skillet in the oven while it preheats to 425°F. The pan needs to be hot when the batter goes in.
After the oven reaches temperature, leave the pan in for another five minutes. Take it out using heavy oven mitts — it is extremely hot.
Add one tablespoon of butter to the hot skillet. It will melt and foam immediately. Swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Work quickly — the butter will brown fast.
Pour the batter in immediately. It will sizzle when it hits the hot pan — this is the crust forming on the bottom.
Baking
Into the 425°F oven for eighteen to twenty-two minutes. The cornbread is done when the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
The edges will have pulled slightly away from the sides of the skillet. The bottom and sides will be deeply golden when you flip it out.
Let it cool in the pan for five minutes before turning out. Serve warm.
Variations worth trying
Adding a cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels to the batter produces a sweeter, more textured result. Half a cup of shredded sharp cheddar mixed into the batter is excellent. Diced jalapeño — one medium pepper — adds heat that works well against the corn’s sweetness.
The base recipe stands perfectly on its own. The additions are for when you’ve made the plain version enough times that you want to change it up.
Pan: 10-inch cast iron skillet — Lodge or Le Creuset Time: 10 minutes active, 20 minutes baking Serves: 8
