It’s the “corniest” bread you’ll ever make. Growing up, the blue box cornbread mix we all know was my go-to snack, so as an adult, I decided to make my own version. One of my fondest memories is nibbling the crispy edges off the hot cornbread with a little bit of butter. This recipe is an ode to the staple of my youth, and the hot cast-iron skillet makes sure the edges are extra crispy. Feel free to add some extra spice to it, turn it into a sandwich or croutons or use it as the base for your stuffing.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 35 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 ears whole corn
- 1 1/2 cups (350 milliliters) buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter, plus more for the skillet, melted
- 1 bunch fresh sage, leaves chopped
- 1/2 bunch fresh thyme, leaves chopped
- 1 1/4 cups (185 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups (175 grams) fine yellow cornmeal
- 1/3 cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons (50 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) baking powder
- 2 teaspoons (7 grams) ground turmeric
- 1 1/4 teaspoons (15 grams) fine kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 bunch scallions, sliced thin
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Place a 9-inch cast-iron skillet into a cold oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Grill the corn whole on a grill pan or grill over medium-high heat until charred and slightly softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then remove the charred kernels.
- To make the corn milk, mix the charred corn and buttermilk in a blender until the corn breaks down but is still slightly chunky.
- In a small pot, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Once the butter has browned, add the sage and thyme. Stir, then transfer to a container and set to the side.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, turmeric, salt and scallions.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, then whisk in the corn milk. Slowly whisk the reserved butter mixture into the egg-corn milk mixture. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, add some melted butter and then add the batter, spreading it out evenly to the walls of the skillet. Bake until a knife pulls from the center clean (not unlike King Arthur), 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then remove the cornbread from the skillet and place it onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 406 |
| Total Fat | 14 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 63 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 23 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 79 mg |
| Sodium | 405 mg |