Old-Fashioned Corn Bread

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 10 mins
Cool: 5 mins
Bake: 20 mins 400°F

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in oven 10 minutes.

2. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and red pepper in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk and baking soda in a 2-cup glass measure. Beat eggs and butter in a small bowl, until blended. Add wet ingredients to cornmeal mixture, stirring with a rubber spatula until combined.

3. Add shortening to hot skillet; return skillet to oven 1 minute, until shortening is melted. Pour batter into hot skillet. Bake 20 to 22 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Cut into 8 wedges. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 servings.

Variation

For cornsticks: Prepare corn bread as directed except heat 12 cornstick molds in oven 10 minutes. Brush molds with 1 tablespoon shortening. Return molds to oven and heat 1 minute. Divide batter between molds, spreading batter with the back of a spoon to fill each. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in center of cornsticks comes out clean. Cool cornsticks in pan on wire racks 5 minutes, then unmold. Makes 12 cornsticks.

Tip

We discovered that baking the bread in a cast-iron skillet instead of a baking pan produces the crispiest crust and a moist, tender interior. (This easy batter can be used to make a batch of cornsticks, too, if you prefer.)
Cornmeal is available in a variety of textures from coarse to finesometimes labeled stone-groundand each will make a slightly different- textured bread.