Equipment
Ingredients
Pork Base
- 6 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
Dry Ingredients
- 240 g yellow cornmeal, medium grind
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 8 g baking powder
- 3 g baking soda
- 5 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 480 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 384 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbohydrates
- 46 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1041 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 80 mg
- Potassium
- 326 mg
- Calcium
- 144 mg
- Iron
- 2.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 94 mg
- Phosphorus
- 370 mg
- Zinc
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 63 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.21 mg
- Niacin
- 2.5 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 69 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the cast-iron skillet into the oven and preheat to 200°C/400°F. The skillet needs to be sizzling hot when the batter hits it.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Add the chopped bacon and cook on the stove top over medium heat until crispy and fat has rendered. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon, reserving them. Keep all the rendered liquid fat in the hot skillet.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, beaten eggs, and melted butter. Stir in the cooked bacon bits.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
Ensure the fat in the skillet is still very hot (place back on high heat for 30 seconds if needed). Carefully pour the batter into the hot skillet. It should sizzle immediately.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let rest in the skillet for 10 minutes before slicing into wedges.
Chef's Notes
- For the truest texture, use stone-ground cornmeal rather than finely milled de-germinated meal; it provides a superior 'corn' bite.
- If you do not have buttermilk, you must use the milk/vinegar substitute listed. The acidity is required to react with the baking soda for lift.
- Do not drain the bacon fat from the pan. That hot fat frying the bottom of the batter is what defines this style of cornbread.
- For a spicy kick, add one diced jalapeño to the wet mixture along with the bacon bits.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap to retain moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze individual wedges for easy reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in a toaster oven at 175°C until warm to crisp the crust.
Troubleshooting
Cornbread is tough or rubbery
Cause: The batter was overmixed, developing too much gluten
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Stop mixing the moment the dry ingredients disappear; lumps are okay
No crust on the bottom
Cause: Skillet and fat were not hot enough when batter was added
Fix: Cannot be fixed after baking
Prevention: Preheat the cast iron thoroughly; the fat should be nearly smoking
Cultural Context
Cornbread originates from Native American cuisine, specifically the use of ground maize. It was adopted by European settlers in the Southern United States, where it became a staple bread due to wheat's scarcity. The inclusion of pork fat (lard or bacon drippings) is a hallmark of traditional Southern 'soul food' cooking.
