Buttermilk Cornbread

1Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 200°C with a 20 cm square tin or cast-iron pan inside to heat up.
2. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the buttermilk and eggs in another bowl, then add the slightly cooled melted butter.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until no dry flour remains — small lumps are fine.

2Cooking

1. Carefully take out the hot tin, brush it with the spoon of butter and pour in the batter at once — the sizzle creates the crisp crust.

   ⏱ 2 min timer
2. Bake until golden and risen and a toothpick in the centre comes out clean.

   ♨️ oven 200°C⏱ 22 min timer

3Serving

1. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then cut into 9 squares.
2. Serve warm with butter and honey, or alongside chili, brisket and fried chicken.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: beating the batter until perfectly smooth, which makes the bread tough and full of tunnels. Stir only a few times.
• Preheating the tin is the secret to crisp edges.
• Don't overbake — cornbread dries out quickly.

🔁 Substitutions

• No buttermilk? Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1¼ cups milk and leave for 10 minutes.
• For a less sweet Southern-style bread, cut the sugar to 2 tablespoons.