Cornbread Recipe

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place a 9-inch round cake pan, cast-iron skillet, or 8x8-inch square pan in the oven while it preheats.

If using a skillet or metal pan, add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil (or bacon fat) to the hot pan and swirl to coat; reserve the remaining oil for the batter. If using a nonstick pan, you can skip adding oil to the pan and instead grease with butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt until evenly combined and there are no lumps.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs until blended. Add the melted unsalted butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (if you already added a tablespoon to the hot pan), whisking until incorporated. Let the butter cool slightly before adding if still very hot.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix — the batter will be slightly lumpy. If the batter seems very thick, you may add up to 2 tablespoons more buttermilk to loosen it; it should be pourable but not runny.

Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while the oven and pan finish heating; this hydrates the cornmeal slightly for better texture.

Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. If you preheated the pan with oil, swirl the oil to coat the bottom and sides. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with the reserved 1 tablespoon coarsely ground cornmeal if using to prevent sticking and add a bit of crunch.

Pour the batter into the hot pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon so it is evenly distributed.

Bake in the preheated 425°F (220°C) oven until the cornbread is deep golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18–22 minutes for a 9-inch skillet or 8x8 pan. If using a deeper pan, check at 22 minutes and add additional minutes as needed.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the cornbread cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes. If you used a skillet, loosen the edges with a knife and invert or slice directly in the skillet.

Slice and serve warm with honey or additional butter, as desired.