Skillet Cornbread

This cornbread can neither be called authentic Southern- nor Northern-style. It borrows my favorite qualities of both with a nice crust, gritty texture and light sweetness.

Update 7.12.22: This cornbread works well using gluten-free flour for those sensitive to gluten. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 flour with great results. The only change I make to the recipe is omit the pureed corn to make sure the cornbread to minimize the crumbly texture but using works well, too.

The words wouldn’t come. I’ve tried to write this post several times–type, delete, walk away, type, delete, walk away. It’s not like I’m writing a dissertation…but I’ve had a hard time showing up here with a cornbread recipe.

Like you, I’ve been watching, listening to and reading the news about what’s going on on the other side of the world and what I have to say about a recipe seems frivolous and insensitive in comparison. So I remind myself that you’re not here for that; with a collective heaviness of heart we go about our business as we wait to see how things unfold, hoping and praying for the best outcome possible.

In the meantime, a recipe, and one that can sometimes elicit some strong opinions. Do you like Southern-style cornbread–the original, in fact–which generally favors little to no sugar and/or flour, is crumbly with a gritty texture from the cornmeal and always baked in a cast iron skillet? Northern-style cornbread is sweeter, more cake-like, uses milk instead of buttermilk and is baked in a baking pan.

With Southern roots (by way of Tennessee) part of me wishes that I had grown up with a cornbread recipe that my grandfather, Harry, might have enjoyed with his family in Chattanooga. He passed away when my mother was a child and remembering keepsakes and old letters exchanged with my mother’s aunts and cousins, I don’t remember ever coming across any family recipes.

Without an heirloom recipe to influence my cornbread taste, after a few trials, I’ve come up with a version that my family of two enjoys. It’s neither a true Southern nor an authentic Northern cornbread. Rather it borrows my favorite qualities of both.

A little sweet, lighter, a little crumbly with a gritty texture and the skillet is a must for a buttery, crisp crust. My husband and I like a pronounced corn flavor so I use corn kernels in the batter, half of which are puréed to optimize the corn experience. I’ve thrown in a little grated cheddar for some sharpness but this is optional.

If you’re like me and want to start your own cornbread tradition and have yet to find your tried-and-true, I hope you find more to like than not in this one. With my trials I found this recipe to be flexible enough to slide the sugar, flour and cornmeal amounts depending on where your preference lies on the Northern or Southern cornbread spectrum. As for the add-ins, skip the cheese or load up. Your cornbread, like mine, may not be regionally authentic but you’ll be able to call it your own.