Cornbread means many things to many people. Some people like it really sweet, others not sweetened at all. Some like it full of course, corny nubbins, others prefer a finer, more cake-like texture. Some load it up mix-ins, others are purists. I, my friends, am here for it all! That’s why you will never find me posting a recipe for The Best Cornbread. I love it with my whole heart, and I appreciate it in all its forms.

So. I make a lot of different corn breads, but this is the one I make most often. I adapted it from this book, which I found at Victoria College’s annual used book sale when I still in university. It is one of my most treasured cookbooks; Anyone who knows me knows I have a deep and abiding love of corn.

It is neither too austere nor too rich, neither too sweet nor too bland. It comes together in a flash and always turns out perfectly. But the best part, the real magic of this recipe, is the crust. By preheating your skillet with your oven until it is pipping hot, then tossing in a not-too-small nob of butter and allowing it to sizzle before you pour in your batter, you end up with a salty, crispy outer layer and a pillowy-moist interior. Bonus: by concentrating the fat on the outside, where you really taste it, you can get away with a more modest amount of butter in the batter. This means, of course, that you can feel great about smearing each wedge with as much additional butter as you like.

I always make this in a 9” inch cast iron skillet, but you don’t really have to. You could also use a pie plate, a casserole dish, or a cake pan, though I would guess this would probably speed up the cooking. Do not use a bigger cast iron skillet unless you also to increase the amount of batter you make accordingly and adjust the cooking time. In that case, you will have to figure out the math yourself, because it’s beyond my capabilities.

A Really Good Cornbread

Adapted from Corn: A Country Garden Cookbook by David Tanis

Dry Ingredients:

1 cups all purpose flour
3/4cup fine or medium yellow cornmeal
4 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain yogurt (whole milk preferred) or sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. melted butter (I like to use salted butter here, but it’s up to you!)
1 egg

For the Pan:

2 additional tbsp. butter (I go with salted here, too)

Method:

Place a 9” cast iron skillet in oven and preheat to 425 degree F.
In a medium bowl, whisk wet ingredient well.
Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until very well combined.
Fold in fold in flour and cornmeal until no streaks remain (a few lumps are OK—don’t over mix!)
Remove hot skillet from oven and plop in reserved butter. As it sizzles and foams, carefully swirl the skillet, or use a brush to spread it around the sides and bottom.
Pour the batter into the pan. Gently spread it with into an even layer if necessary with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Bake on the lowest rack of your oven for 20 minutes, or until a knife or skewer comes out clean and the top is a golden brown.
Cut into wedges and eat with more butter and jam, or serve along side a bowl or chili or soup.