Cornbread

This easy skillet cornbread comes together with just a handful of ingredients, many of which you probably already have on hand. It’s a firm-crumbed but light quick bread that can hold its own as a side slathered with salted butter, or it can be used as a base for cornbread dressing. The buttermilk gives the toasted corn flavor a pleasant tartness — full-fat buttermilk is preferred, but low-fat will do in a pinch.

Ingredients

• 8

  tablespoons/115 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing the pan

• 1 ½

  cups/250 grams medium-coarse yellow cornmeal

• ¾

  cup/114 grams all-purpose flour

• ¼

  cup/55 grams granulated sugar

• 3 ½

  teaspoons baking powder

• 1

  teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

• ¼

  teaspoon baking soda

• 2

  cups/470 milliliters buttermilk, preferably full-fat

• 2

  large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch skillet or cast-iron pan and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk and eggs. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until incorporated. Fold in the melted butter. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and smooth the top.
3. Bake until the top is lightly browned and the sides pull away cleanly from the skillet, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely and serve warm or room temperature, or reserve to make cornbread dressing.