Mama's Cornbread

Read this post only if you are interested in learning how to make the perfect cornbread.  This is a recipe I came up with after years of experimenting with different recipes, pans, and techniques.  Truly, this is the perfect Southern-style cornbread; not too sweet, not too dry, not too spongy; crumbly enough (when still hot) to stir into a bowl of chili, delicious by itself when cool.  This is the recipe I use the weekend before Thanksgiving; cut into cubes and dried it makes wonderful breadcrumbs for real homemade stuffing.

A note about the size of this batch- this makes enough for us to have a few (or 3-4) pieces each for dinner, with some leftover for snacking on when it is cold.  We bake it using the largest Lodge cast iron skillet, I think it is the 15" pan.  If you want to make less, half the proportions and use a smaller skillet.  But don't even bother trying to make this bread in anything other than cast iron.  It just won't be as good.

Can you tell I'm proud of this recipe?  ;-)  Here it is, as written for the kids to follow:

* First, put 1 stick butter in biggest cast iron skillet.  Turn oven on to 350* and put pan in while preheating.
* In large bowl, beat 4 eggs.  Add 3 cups buttermilk, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda.  Beat together.
* Stir in 3 cups cornmeal (preferably yellow), 1 cup unbleached flour.
* Stir in melted butter from skillet.
* Pour batter into hot skillet.  Bake about 35 to 40 minutes or until done (toothpick comes out clean).

Suggested to let sit a few minutes before you cut and serve.  Robert likes to melt more butter over the top, but it really is just as good without.

Good eatin', Ya'll!!!