recipe image

Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread

Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves
    8
Author Notes

I started making skillet cornbread when Gourmet published a recipe in their 2008 November issue. I’ve since adapted the recipe and now use this gluten-free cornbread all year long. It’s great as a side dish for barbecued meats or chili, and it’s always in my Thanksgiving stuffing. You can even pour the batter into muffin tins to make individual servings. I like the texture of a coarse grind cornmeal, which I get from Farmer Ground Flour (at the Cayuga Pure Organics stand) at the Union Square Greenmarket. —cratecooking

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Boozeandsusan is a New York City transplant originally from Michigan.


WHAT: A tangy (gluten-free!) cowboy-style cornbread.


HOW: Add butter to a very hot cast-iron skillet, then pour in to a bowl with an egg and yogurt mixture. Then add the dry ingredients to the yogurt bowl to make a batter and then pour that mixture into the pan.


WHY WE LOVE IT: This cornbread has it all—it’s slightly tangy from buttermilk, gluten-free thanks to 100% cornmeal, sweet from maple syrup, and, of course, just-crispy-enough from its hot skillet (which also earns it major style points). —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups

    coarse yellow cornmeal


  • 3/4 teaspoon

    baking soda


  • 1/2 teaspoon

    coarse salt


  • 2

    large eggs


  • 1 1/2 cups

    plain drinkable yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk


  • 1 1/2 tablespoons

    maple syrup


  • 4 tablespoons

    unsalted butter

Directions
  1. Preheat an oven to 425° F. Heat a 10-inch seasoned cast-iron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes, until it’s very hot.
  2. Combine the cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, and maple syrup.
  3. Remove the hot skillet from the oven and add the butter, swirling it until it’s melted (it’s okay if it slightly browns). Working quickly, pour the hot, melted butter into the egg and yogurt mixture, and whisk until combined. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and and bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Allow cornbread to slightly cool before cutting.

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