Southern Cornbread

Hello class and welcome back to another segment of Yankee tries to not piss everyone off while explaining southern food!  Today’s topic, southern cornbread.

For those of you who are unaware, there are two types of cornbread typically made in American households.  You have northern style cornbread, and you have southern-style cornbread. And as the name suggests these styles of cornbread are regional styles.  For example, my mother who is from the Youngstown Ohio area always makes her cornbread northern style, because that’s what she grew up with. However, if you drove a couple of hours south and across the Ohio River, you would probably find people making their cornbread southern style.  

So what exactly is the difference between northern and southern cornbread?

Well in its most basic sense it all comes down to whether or not you add sugar to the cornbread batter.  In the northern style, they add sugar, and in the southern style, they don’t. Now, of course, there’s a little bit more to it than that, such as the type of cornmeal that’s used or the number of eggs put in the batter.  But let’s just keep it simple for now.

In the end, there isn’t much that differentiates the two styles on paper.  However, ask anyone who has tried both styles and they will quickly tell you that the two are not the same.

So which one do I think is better?  Well, we are making southern-style cornbread today and not northern style, so hopefully, that answers your question. 

Tips, Tricks, & Suggestions

• Using milk vs buttermilk.  In today’s recipe, we are using buttermilk which in my opinion is essential for making cornbread.  You see we need the acid from the buttermilk to react with the baking soda to make carbon dioxide. This is the stuff that creates air pockets making the bread nice and fluffy.  Milk, however, doesn’t have enough acid to make this reaction happen. But don’t worry as you can easily add a Tablespoon of an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar to every cup of milk to make it work.  
• What type of cornmeal to buy?  Well, your two choices are white and yellow, both will work just fine in a southern cornbread.  I will, however, recommend that you find a stone-ground corn meal as it is of superior quality.
• I prefer to bake my cornbread in a cast-iron skillet because it gives the bread a great crunchy crust.  However, if you don’t have a cast-iron skillet then you can easily cook this bread in a 9” square baking pan.
• I like to serve this cornbread with some collard greens, and smoked meat such as pulled pork, or apple juice brined turkey breast.

Southern Cornbread Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 Cup of Cornmeal

1 Cup of all-purpose flour

1 Teaspoon of baking powder

½ Teaspoon of baking soda

1 Teaspoon of salt

1 ¼ Cup of buttermilk, room temperature*

1 Large egg, room temperature*

4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and then cooled to room temperature*

If you are using a castiron skillet:

Another 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

***All three of these ingredients need to be at room temperature when you add them together.  If the butter isn’t allowed to come to room temperature after you melt it, then adding it to the eggs could cause them to cook and harden.  Conversely, if either the buttermilk or the egg is cold and not at room temperature, then they could cause the melted butter to solidify.

Instructions

1. Preheat to 400 and place your cast iron skillet in it so it gets hot.

2. Make the batter: Get out ar large bowl and add the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to it.  Then use a whisk of a fork to mix all of those ingredients together. Set this bowl aside and get out another bowl.  Crack the egg into this second bowl and beat it. Then add the buttermilk, along with the melted butter to the egg and mix it all together.  Finally, pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix them together until they form the batter.

3. For those using a cast iron skillet:  Now that the batter is made, take out the hot skillet from your oven.  Place the other 4 tablespoons of butter into this hot skillet and let it melt completely.  Finally, pour the cornmeal batter into this buttered skillet and spread it out so that it’s even.

3. For those using a baking pan: Get out the baking pan and grease it with either a spray or a stick of butter.  Then pour the cornbread batter into the pan and spread it out so that it’s even.

4. Place the cornbread in your oven and let it bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sides have become browned up.

5. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing up.

Print Recipe

Southern Cornbread Recipe

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 Cup of Cornmeal
• 1 Cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 Teaspoon of baking powder
• ½ Teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 Teaspoon of salt
• 1 ¼ Cup of buttermilk room temperature*
• 1 Large egg room temperature*
• 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter melted and then cooled to room temperature*

If you are using a castiron skillet:

• Another 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Instructions

• Preheat to 400 and place your cast iron skillet in it so it gets hot.
• Make the batter: Get out ar large bowl and add the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to it. Then use a whisk of a fork to mix all of those ingredients together. Set this bowl aside and get out another bowl. Crack the egg into this second bowl and beat it. Then add the buttermilk, along with the melted butter to the egg and mix it all together. Finally, pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix them together until they form the batter.
• For those using a cast iron skillet: Now that the batter is made, take out the hot skillet from your oven. Place the other 4 tablespoons of butter into this hot skillet and let it melt completely. Finally, pour the cornmeal batter into this buttered skillet and spread it out so that it’s even
• For those using a baking pan: Get out the baking pan and grease it with either a spray or a stick of butter. Then pour the cornbread batter into the pan and spread it out so that it’s even.
• Place the cornbread in your oven and let it bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sides have become browned up.
• Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing up

Notes

***All three of these ingredients need to be room temperature when you add them together. If the butter isn’t allowed to come to room temperature after you melt it, then adding it to the eggs could cause them to cook and harden. Conversely, if either the buttermilk or the egg is cold and not room temperature, then they could cause the melted butter to solidify.

Inspiration from other blogs

From Feast and Farm

From Simply Recipes