Description
This skillet cornbread recipe offers a wonderfully crisp edge with a tender, bacon-studded center. The harmonious blend of floral honey and smoky applewood bacon creates a sweet-and-savory flavor that perfectly complements the traditional cornbread base, all baked to golden perfection in a cast iron skillet.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 6 slices applewood-smoked bacon, finely chopped
- 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
- 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. Meanwhile, heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Cook Bacon: Add the finely chopped applewood-smoked bacon to the skillet and cook until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon, then drain it on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and honey until smooth.
- Combine Mixtures: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined and moistened. Fold in the crispy bacon pieces evenly throughout the batter.
- Prepare Skillet and Bake: Swirl the reserved tablespoon of bacon fat around the bottom and sides of the warm cast iron skillet to coat it. Pour the cornbread batter evenly into the skillet.
- Bake: Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Serve: Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool slightly. Serve warm with a drizzle of additional honey on top for extra sweetness.
Notes
- If you don't have buttermilk, create a substitute by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk and letting it stand for 10 minutes before using.
- For extra crisp edges, preheating the cast iron skillet before adding the batter is essential.
- The bacon fat used to grease the skillet adds additional smoky flavor and helps develop a golden crust.
- You can adjust the sweetness by adding more or less honey according to your taste preferences.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
