Top | Ashley Griffin Gartland

Skillet Cornbread

(recipe, Ashley Griffin Gartland)


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Introduction

This recipe — inspired by one from Cook's Illustrated — comes from Bob Neroni and Lenore Emery, of the EVOO Cannon Beach Cooking School.

Ingredients

    Bread
    1. 1¾ cups cornmeal
    2. ½ cup cake flour (see Note)
    3. ½ cup sugar (see Note)
    4. ¾ tsp. sea salt
    5. 2 tsp. baking powder
    6. ½ tsp. baking soda
    7. ¾ cup boiling water
    8. 1¼ cups buttermilk
    9. 2 eggs, lightly beaten
    10. 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
    Honey butter
    1. 8 oz. (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
    2. 4 Tbsp. honey
    3. Ground coriander and sea salt, to taste

    Steps

    1. Make the cornbread: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place ½ cup of the cornmeal into a medium heatproof bowl and set it aside. Meanwhile, place the remaining cornmeal together with the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in another bowl.
    2. Pour the ¾ cup boiling water slowly into the bowl of reserved cornmeal, whisking to form a paste. Add the buttermilk, whisking to break up lumps. Continue whisking and add the beaten eggs.
    3. Stir in the dry ingredients just until wet. Stir in the melted butter and pour the batter into a greased 8-inch cast-iron skillet.
    4. Bake in the pan for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown. (Check for doneness at 22 minutes or so.) When done, it should spring back when touched.
    5. Make the honey butter: While the bread is baking, whip the salted butter with a paddle in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the honey and continue whipping until incorporated. Add the ground coriander and sea salt to taste.
    6. Serve slices of the warm bread with the honey butter.

    Note

    Culinate editor's notes: If you don't have cake flour, substitute regular white flour; the resulting bread will be slightly less fluffy, but still light and delicious. And if you prefer your cornbread on the savory side, cut back on the sugar to 1/3 or even 1/4 cup. For a touch of lemon, mince the zest of 1 large lemon and add it to the dry ingredients.