The Cornbread Trick That Gives You Crisp Edges and a Tender Middle

Buy stone-ground yellow cornmeal if you can find it, and use a coarse grind. It gives the bread a little grit and sweetness, the way cornmeal ought to. You’ll also need buttermilk, one egg, melted butter, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and a spoonful of sugar. Yes, sugar. I am not interested in starting a civil war over it. A little makes the corn taste more like corn; it does not turn the pan into cake.

Put a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and heat it to 425 degrees. Let the pan sit there for at least 10 minutes after the oven says it’s ready. Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl, beat 1 cup buttermilk with 1 egg and 4 tablespoons melted butter.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick and lumpy, not smooth. Overmix it and you’ll get a tight, rubbery crumb. Cornbread is not asking for a workout; three or four lazy turns with a spatula will do.

Now comes the part people skip, usually because they are hungry: carefully remove the hot skillet and swirl in a tablespoon of butter or bacon fat. Pour in the batter. It should hiss immediately. If it doesn’t, the pan wasn’t hot enough, and your edges will be pale and soft instead of crisp and deeply browned. That sizzle is the whole point.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. The edges should pull slightly from the skillet and look almost fried. Let it rest for five minutes, then cut it into wedges while it’s still warm.

It should smell toasty and buttery, with that unmistakable roasted-corn perfume. The first bite ought to crackle at the edge, then give way to a tender, steamy middle. Serve it with chili, beans, scrambled eggs, or nothing but salted butter. And please don’t wash that skillet with soap and leave it soaking. Cornbread deserves better, and cast iron remembers everything.