Description
This skillet cornbread bakes right up in a cast iron with crisp edges and a tender, bacon-studded center. The sweet-and-savory notes of floral honey and smoky bacon complement cornbread perfectly, creating a delightful balance of flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 6 slices applewood-smoked bacon, finely chopped
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup medium-ground yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup honey, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Skillet: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat to warm up.
- Cook Bacon: Add the finely chopped bacon to the hot skillet and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the skillet.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and honey until smooth and fully blended.
- Combine Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until moistened and just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cornbread tender.
- Fold in Bacon: Gently fold the cooked bacon pieces into the batter to distribute evenly.
- Prepare Skillet and Pour Batter: Swirl the reserved tablespoon of bacon fat around the warm cast iron skillet to coat the bottom and sides. Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet and spread evenly.
- Bake: Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve the cornbread warm with an additional drizzle of honey on top for extra sweetness and flavor.
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk, make a substitute by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk and letting it stand for 10 minutes before using.
- Ensure not to overmix the batter to keep the cornbread from becoming tough.
- Using a cast iron skillet helps achieve the perfect crispy edges and tender center.
- You can adjust the amount of honey based on your desired level of sweetness.
