Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

By Dorothea Malloy

Cast iron is traditional for southern cornbread.  It gives the bread a crispier bottom crust, as does adding hot, melted butter to the batter before baking.

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)

4 cups stone-ground corn meal

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar or honey (optional)

8 TB buttermilk powder

2 cups water (or use 2 cups buttermilk instead of the buttermilk powder and water)

2 eggs

1.       Place the butter in a large cast iron skillet put in the oven.  Turn the oven to 400 degrees.

2.       While the oven is heating, mix all the dry ingredients together.  Add the eggs and water or buttermilk and mix thoroughly.

3.       When butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven and pour it into the batter, stirring it in. 

4.       Pour the batter into the hot pan and return to the oven.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once if it is browning unevenly.  Remove when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.