Quick Skillet Cornbread

One bowl, one hot pan · the crackly buttery crust is the whole point

1 skillet · 10 min

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1¼ cups cornmeal (medium grind for texture)
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder · ½ tsp baking soda · ¾ tsp salt
1–3 Tbsp sugar or honey (to taste — Northern-sweet or Southern-plain)
2 eggs
1¼ cups buttermilk (or milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar, soured 5 min)
4 Tbsp butter — divided, for the batter & the pan
optional (fold in at step 3): ¾ cup corn kernels, diced Calabrian or jalapeño, or a handful of grated cheddar

What you need

1¼ cups cornmeal (medium grind for texture)

1 cup flour

1 Tbsp baking powder · ½ tsp baking soda · ¾ tsp salt

1–3 Tbsp sugar or honey (to taste — Northern-sweet or Southern-plain)

2 eggs

1¼ cups buttermilk (or milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar, soured 5 min)

4 Tbsp butter — divided, for the batter & the pan

optional (fold in at step 3): ¾ cup corn kernels, diced Calabrian or jalapeño, or a handful of grated cheddar

Heat the pan with the oven. Put a cast-iron skillet in the oven and set it to 425°F — the pan needs to get as hot as the oven.
Whisk dry, then wet. Stir the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar. In another bowl beat the eggs and buttermilk, then whisk in 3 Tbsp melted butter (hold back 1 Tbsp for the pan).
Barely combine, then fold in the corn. Fold wet into dry just until no dry streaks remain — lumpy is right. Overmixing makes cornbread tough and gummy. Now fold in the corn kernels (and any cheese or diced pepper) with a couple gentle turns. Fresh or frozen corn goes in as-is; charred is even better.
Butter the hot pan. Pull the skillet out (careful — it's ripping hot), drop in the last 1 Tbsp butter and swirl until it foams and smells nutty, then pour the batter straight in — it should sizzle and hiss on contact.
Bake. 20–25 min until the top is golden and springs back and a tester comes out clean. Cool 5 min, then turn out or cut in wedges right in the pan.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Heat the pan with the oven. Put a cast-iron skillet in the oven and set it to 425°F — the pan needs to get as hot as the oven.

2. Whisk dry, then wet. Stir the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar. In another bowl beat the eggs and buttermilk, then whisk in 3 Tbsp melted butter (hold back 1 Tbsp for the pan).

3. Barely combine, then fold in the corn. Fold wet into dry just until no dry streaks remain — lumpy is right. Overmixing makes cornbread tough and gummy. Now fold in the corn kernels (and any cheese or diced pepper) with a couple gentle turns. Fresh or frozen corn goes in as-is; charred is even better.

4. Butter the hot pan. Pull the skillet out (careful — it's ripping hot), drop in the last 1 Tbsp butter and swirl until it foams and smells nutty, then pour the batter straight in — it should sizzle and hiss on contact.

5. Bake. 20–25 min until the top is golden and springs back and a tester comes out clean. Cool 5 min, then turn out or cut in wedges right in the pan.

Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.