My strategy is simple. Cook and bake as if it were the crispest fall day and the weather will follow suit. So far it hasn’t worked. It was almost 90 degrees when I was making this cornbread and chicken chili.
This cornbread is super delicious and is due in large part to the perfectly crisp crust, which is achieved by heating the pan before pouring in the batter. That shock of hitting the butter slicked cast iron causes the batter to instantly create a barrier, which allows the bread itself to remain soft and crumbly while the crust continues to darken and crisp.
Next up, I’m swapping a portion of the butter for pumpkin to really up this fall ante. Coming soon!
Whole-Wheat Skillet Cornbread
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup medium coarse corn meal
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup date sugar (I get mine from the Date Lady)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup milk (I used Good Karma flax milk, unsweetened with protein)
- 1 cup buttermilk (could substitute for more non-dairy milk)
- 2 eggs
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, not melted
- Honey for serving
Method:
You’ll need a 9-inch cast iron skillet for this (they really are the best). Place skillet in oven and pre-heat to 425 degrees F.
Whisk together dry ingredients: corn meal, flour, date sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. In a separate bowl whisk together the milks, eggs, and 7 tbsp melted butter. Combine the dry with the wet until fully combined.
Once oven reaches temperature, remove skillet (with gloves!) and lower to 375 degrees F. Carefully rub the 1 tbsp butter around the pan so that the sides and bottom are all covered. Then immediately pour batter into pan–it will sizzle and this is what creates the beautiful crust.
Place in oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into. A drizzle of honey on this bread simply cannot be beat.
