bake 52: southern-style skillet cornbread

This was such a fun recipe.  Cornbread in a skillet.  So authentic.

Start off by heating oil in a skillet.  10-inch.  (This is a 12-inch.  It's what I had.)

Meanwhile, toast the cornmeal on a rimmed baking sheet.  The book said that toasting the cornmeal "deepens the flavor dramatically."  And who doesn't like dramatic deepening of flavor?

Remove the skillet from the oven, and add the butter.

Combine the cornmeal, buttermilk, all but 1 Tbls. of the oil/butter mixture, baking powder, baking soda, salt and eggs.

Baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Two eggs.

There's the 1 Tbls. of oil/butter mixture that was reserved and poured back into the skillet before adding the cornmeal mixture.

Quickly pour the batter into the hot skillet, and get it in the oven.

The crispy crust started to form immediately after being poured into the skillet.

What's cornbread without honey butter?

Here it is out of the oven.

Look at that crispy edge!

When I dumped it out, that's what stuck in the pan.  I'm sure it's the first bit that hit the pan.

Yep.  There's the spot.

Check out that crust.

Skillet cornbread, with a smathering of honey butter.

My kids said it looked like a piece of pie, or cake.

I liked this cornbread, but, being from Utah, I'm used to a little more sweet, and slightly more cakey texture.  I'm guessing this is probably more authentic.  Of course I LOVED baking it in the skillet.  Hey, wouldn't it be so cute to serve in small individual sized skillets?  Have to keep an eye out for something like that.

Great pick Jen!  Hop over here for the complete recipe.