Skillet cornbread is a good first bake in a cast-iron pan. The pan holds the heat, gives the edges a deep golden crust and goes straight from the hob to the oven. This version uses brown butter, which adds a nutty note without making the bread heavy. It fills a 26 cm pan and cuts into eight generous wedges.
What you need
150 g coarse cornmeal or polenta, 100 g plain flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoon of fine salt, 2 large eggs, 300 ml buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of runny honey. For the brown butter, use 100 g unsalted butter. Have a little extra butter or rapeseed oil for the pan.
Brown the butter
Put the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Let it melt, foam and then turn a light hazelnut brown. Watch it closely, because it goes from brown to burnt quickly. Pour it into a jug, leaving the darkest solids behind if you prefer a milder flavour, and let it cool for five minutes.
Make the batter
Heat the oven to 220°C. Put the 26 cm cast-iron pan in the oven for ten minutes so it is properly hot. Meanwhile, whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate and salt in a large bowl. In a second bowl, beat the eggs with the buttermilk, honey and cooled brown butter. Pour the wet mix into the dry and stir just until combined. A few lumps are fine. Overmixing makes the bread tough.
Take the hot pan out of the oven, add a teaspoon of butter or oil and swirl it around. Pour in the batter. It should sizzle at the edges. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean.
Finishing and serving
Let the cornbread cool in the pan for ten minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, then turn it out or cut it in the pan. Serve warm with butter, or beside chilli, soup or a roast. It is best on the day it is made, but it keeps for two days wrapped in a cloth.
To warm it up, put the wedges back in the pan, cover with foil and heat at 160°C for eight minutes.
Variations
Stir 80 g of grated mature cheddar and 150 g of sweetcorn into the batter. A chopped green chilli and a handful of coriander work well with chilli. For a sweeter bread, add another tablespoon of honey and serve it with stewed fruit.
Cornbread leaves the pan with a little butter and flour behind. Wash it in warm water, dry it on the hob and give it a thin coat of rapeseed oil, just as you would after any other cook. The pan will be ready for the next bake.
The pan must be hot when the batter goes in. That is what sets the crust. If you are using a smaller 20 cm pan, make two thirds of the batter, or bake the rest in a lined tin. Do not fill the pan more than two thirds full.
