Southern Style Cornbread Recipes

REAL SOUTHERN CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Put the skillet in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
• Combine the dry ingredients except for the baking soda in a bowl.
• In another bowl, mix the buttermilk and the baking soda.
• Set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with the sugar until combined.
• Add the oil and mix until combined.
• Pour this mixture into the buttermilk/baking soda, and mix.
• When the oven is preheated, toss the butter into the skillet and let it melt.
• Meanwhile, pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix in as few strokes as it takes to just make the dough come together.
• Pull the skillet out of the oven, swirling to get the butter covering the bottom and up the sides of the skillet.
• Pour the batter immediately into the pan, smoothing the top, then back into the oven for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and pulled away from the sides of the pan.
• Turn out onto a cutting board, cut into wedges and serve.
• NOTE: IMNSHO- cornbread isn't worth making if you don't make it in a cast-iron skillet.
• It may just be my upbringing, but it tastes better somehow.
• And please do not add the baking soda to the dry ingredients.
• I can't explain why, but adding it to the buttermilk makes a big difference in the texture.

REAL SOUTHERN CORNBREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix together the corn meal, flour, salt, and baking powder.
• In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, butter, and buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.
• Heat a dry 12 inch cast iron skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Add corn oil to skillet, swirl oil around to coat bottom and sides. Leave remaining oil in pan. Return to high heat for 1 minute.
• Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet and cook on high heat until bubbles start to form in the center. Remove from stove.
• Bake in a preheated 400 degree F (200 degree C) oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

SOUTHERN CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and position a rack in the middle. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan.
• Melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish in three 15-second intervals on high or in a small pan on the stove. Set it aside to cool.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the eggs. Add the melted butter. Add the flour-cornmeal mixture and stir just until combined. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until the cornbread just begins to brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 23 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

SOUTHERN CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Make the batter: Whisk together all the dry ingredients (cornmeal, baking soda, salt, sugar if using) in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg (if using) and buttermilk until combined, then mix that into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir in the melted butter.
• Rest bread in skillet, then serve: Let the bread rest for 10 to 30 minutes in the skillet before cutting it into wedges and serving. To store, let the cornbread cool, then remove from pan and wrap in plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Store at room temp for 2 to 3 days To avoid burning your hand because you've forgotten the pan is hot, I recommend placing a pot holder on the pan's handle while the cornbread is resting, or cooling the handle down a bit with an ice cube.

SWEET SOUTHERN CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place two 8-cavity mini loaf pans in the oven to heat up.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, cake flour, sugar and baking powder.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, oil, eggs and salt to a uniform color. Quickly but gently fold the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. It should be a loose batter, not a dough.
• Carefully remove the loaf pans from the oven and quickly spray with cooking spray.
• Divide the batter evenly among 12 cavities of the loaf pans and bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 28 to 30 minutes. Rotate the pans 180 degrees halfway through baking.
• Immediately turn the cornbread loaves out of the pans onto a cooling rack to cool. This will also ensure they build a crisp crust.

MAMA'S SOUTHERN CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x13-inch baking dishes.
• Combine cornbread and stale bread cubes in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until transparent, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Pour onion mixture over the cornbread mixture. Add turkey broth, chopped turkey, soup, giblets, hard-cooked eggs, and flour. Mix so that all the cornbread is wet. Mix in parsley, sage, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Add beaten eggs. Mixture should be "soupy." Pour mixture evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and set, 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

SOUTHERN STYLE CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set 8-inch cast-iron skillet with bacon fat (or vegetable oil) in heating oven.
• Measure 1/3 cup cornmeal into medium bowl. Mix remaining cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.
• Pour boiling water all at once into the 1/3 cup cornmeal; stir to make a stiff mush. Whisk in buttermilk gradually, breaking up lumps until smooth, then whisk in egg. When oven is preheated and skillet very hot, stir dry ingredients into mush mixture until just moistened. Carefully remove skillet from oven. Pour hot bacon fat (or melted butter) from the skillet into the batter and stir to incorporate, then quickly pour batter into heated skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and instantly turn cornbread onto wire rack; cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.
• Note: Though it is preferable to make cornbread in a preheated cast-iron skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or 9-inch square baking pan, greased lightly with butter and not preheated, will also produce acceptable results if you double the recipe and bake the bread for 25 minutes.