Cornbread is easy anytime with only a few pantry staples. From idea to eating in under an hour – half that with a little practice. Only problem is that it doesn’t stay fresh very long and is best eaten right out of the oven or most certainly before the day is over. If you can’t get through a giant twelve-inch round from your big skillet in that day, find a ‘personal-size’ cast iron pan in the eight-inch range – usually for less than $20 online or in discount stores. Cast iron (paired with plenty of butter) is ideal for a crisp exterior but remember it holds a lot of heat so don’t wait until your cornbread is bone dry to pull it from the oven. Retained heat will coast up to finished easily.
It’s so quick to throw together you can whip up a batch daily as needed and turn any few leftovers into corn pudding or sage-enhanced dressing long before stale. As a bonus, the smaller diameter skillet means you’ll get a better rise and the added structure of flour (gluten) isn’t required if you’re afraid of it for any reason. Next time you’re waiting for chili or stew to simmer, make a quick pan.
Eight-Inch Cornbread
90g butter, unsalted
265g cornmeal *
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 jalapeño or similar chile, minced (optional)
2 eggs
275g (~ 260ml or 1+ cup) buttermilk
* Any grind size or colour cornmeal can work but I prefer larger / coarser for a more open crumb. Grind numbers when labeled are lower for coarser (e.g. 120 is coarser than 340). I prefer 120 and use the trick of a ten minute soak of the cornmeal in water before draining and continuing with the recipe. More cohesive texture can be had by swapping 100g of the cornmeal for flour – preferably lighter cake or pastry varieties.
Preheat your oven to 220C/425F. Place the butter into an 8-inch diameter cast iron pan and put in the oven to melt while you proceed.
Whisk together the cornmeal, optional flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the chile if desired and toss to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold to lightly to combine working quickly once the acidic buttermilk mixes with the baking soda. Carefully swirl the hot pan to coat in butter the pour the excess into the batter, fold again to combine, and pour into the hot pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes, rotating the pan midway, until a knife inserted comes out nearly clean being careful not to over bake into a dry heap. Ovens vary widely so check often towards the end.
Cool in the pan at least fifteen minutes before attempting to invert onto a warmed plate for serving. Skipping this wait is a sure fire way to only get the top half out leaving the bottom clinging to the pan. You have been warned.
– msh v.2.4
