Ingredients

• 1 cup (170g) plain yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups (490g) buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup butter

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together buttermilk and eggs; stir into cornmeal mixture just until combined.
4. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke.
5. Add butter, and stir until butter is melted.
6. Stir melted butter into cornbread batter.
7. Pour batter into hot skillet.
8. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and cornbread pulls away from sides of skillet.
9. Invert cornbread onto a wire rack; serve warm.

Variations

Cornbread Mix-ins: While this classic cornbread is delicious in its own right, these simple additions add a little pizzazz:

• Sauté 1/3 cup diced chorizo until crisp and fold into the batter along with the melted butter.
• Add 1 cup of grated extra-sharp Cheddar to the wet ingredients.
• Toast 1/4 cup pine nuts and add to the batter with the melted butter.
• Mix 4 thinly sliced scallions with the wet ingredients.
• Add 1 cup of sautéed thinly sliced leeks to the batter with the melted butter.
• Add 3 Tablespoons minced fresh Jalapeños to the wet ingredients.
• Add 1 cup fresh corn to the wet ingredients.
• Add a few slices of cooked, crumbled bacon to the batter with the melted butter. You can also substitute 1 Tablespoon bacon fat for 1 Tablespoon of the butter.