Golden Southern Cornbread

Golden Southern cornbread is a tender, slightly sweet quick bread with a crisp, buttered crust and a crumb that stays moist without being dense. The secret is the ratio of cornmeal to flour and a hot skillet that browns the bottom and sides before the batter goes in.

Ingredients for Golden Southern Cornbread

Cornmeal gives the bread its structure and signature texture, while all-purpose flour keeps it tender rather than crumbly. Sugar adds slight sweetness and helps the top brown. Baking powder and baking soda work together to lift the batter and create a light crumb. Salt balances the sweetness. Buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to create rise and tang, while eggs bind the dry ingredients and add richness. Butter melted in a hot skillet seasons the batter and crisps the exterior.

Why This Golden Southern Cornbread Works

A hot buttered skillet is the foundation. When you pour the batter into a pan that has been heating in a 425°F oven, the butter sizzles and the bottom starts to brown before the heat even reaches the center. This creates a crisp, golden crust while the inside stays moist.

The combination of baking powder and baking soda, triggered by the acidity of buttermilk, gives the bread lift without the need for whipping or folding. The batter comes together in one bowl, stays slightly thick, and bakes through in about 20 to 25 minutes. The cornmeal provides tooth and structure; the flour keeps it from becoming too coarse.

You know it is done when the top is deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The bread will have pulled slightly from the edges of the skillet and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Mistakes To Avoid

Skipping the skillet preheat means the bottom will not brown and the crust will be soft and pale. A room-temperature pan bakes the cornbread evenly but without contrast or crispness, which is what makes this bread distinctive.

Overmixing the batter once the wet and dry ingredients combine activates gluten and makes the crumb tough and dense. Stir just until the dry flour disappears. A few lumps will disappear in the oven.

Using milk instead of buttermilk changes the chemistry of the rise. Without the acid, the baking soda has nothing to react with, and the bread will not rise as much or have the same tender crumb.

Turning the bread out of the skillet too soon while it is still hot causes it to crack or crumble. The crust needs a few minutes to set and firm up before you move it.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
• 1/4 cup sugar (50 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons butter (57 grams), plus more for serving

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the 10-inch cast iron skillet inside to heat for at least 5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk and eggs together until combined.
4. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. A few small lumps are fine.
5. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and add 4 tablespoons butter, tilting to coat the bottom and sides as it melts.
6. Pour the batter into the buttered skillet and return it to the oven immediately.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Let the cornbread cool in the skillet for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack or cutting board.
9. Serve warm with butter.