Grandma's Southern Cornbread Recipe With No Sugar
Cornbread made with cornmeal mix, hot bacon grease, and buttermilk in a sizzling hot cast iron skillet
Servings: 8
Equipment
- 1 8 or 9 inch Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups self-rising cornmeal mix
- 11/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt omit if you don't like extra salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3-4 tablespoons bacon grease or cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 410
- While the oven is heating pour grease into the iron skillet and set the skillet in the oven.
- Combine corn meal mix, salt, and baking soda in medium size mixing bowl.
- Add beaten egg and buttermilk and mix thoroughly with spoon or whisk.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and pour the grease into the cornbread mixture, stirring quickly to incorporate the grease.
- Pour the mix into the hot iron skillet and return to the oven.
- Cook for 30 minutes or until brown on top and crispy on the bottom.
Notes
It is important that your iron skillet be well seasoned.
The grease should sizzle when poured into the cornbread mixture. If the grease isn’t hot enough return to the oven and heat until it sizzles when it hits the cornbread mixture. The hot skillet ensures the cornbread crust will be crispy and the bread will release easily from the pan.
Add an additional ¼ cup buttermilk to make the cornbread texture softer and moister.
Run a dinner knife (dull knife) between the cornbread and the sides of the skillet and lift gently. If the cornbread feels like it is sticking to the bottom of the pan run the knife or a small spatula under the cornbread to loosen it from the pan.
Turn the cornbread crispy side up on the plate and slice into quarters. Do not butter the crispy side of the cornbread (my granddaughter does this and it ruins the crispiness).
Butter the top of the cornbread, or the center by cutting into the pie shaped wedge.
I like to cut the crispy end from my cornbread wedge and butter the cut side. I get this from my Dad.
The grease should sizzle when poured into the cornbread mixture. If the grease isn’t hot enough return to the oven and heat until it sizzles when it hits the cornbread mixture. The hot skillet ensures the cornbread crust will be crispy and the bread will release easily from the pan.
Add an additional ¼ cup buttermilk to make the cornbread texture softer and moister.
Run a dinner knife (dull knife) between the cornbread and the sides of the skillet and lift gently. If the cornbread feels like it is sticking to the bottom of the pan run the knife or a small spatula under the cornbread to loosen it from the pan.
Turn the cornbread crispy side up on the plate and slice into quarters. Do not butter the crispy side of the cornbread (my granddaughter does this and it ruins the crispiness).
Butter the top of the cornbread, or the center by cutting into the pie shaped wedge.
I like to cut the crispy end from my cornbread wedge and butter the cut side. I get this from my Dad.