Skillet Cornbread

Ingredients

• 200 g fine polenta or cornmeal
• 150 g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 30 g sugar
• 350 ml buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 80 g butter
• 150 g sweetcorn, drained

Method

1. Heat the pan with the butter in it

   Put the butter in a cast-iron skillet and heat it in a 220°C oven until the butter is melted and just starting to brown. The sizzling hot pan is what gives cornbread its crisp fried crust — a cold tin gives you cake.

   10 min

2. Mix the dry

   Whisk the polenta, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and a teaspoon of salt together thoroughly.

3. Combine fast

   Beat the buttermilk and eggs, pour in most of the hot melted butter from the pan, then stir into the dry ingredients with the sweetcorn until only just combined. Lumps are fine — overmixing makes it tough, and the bicarb is already reacting.

4. Straight into the hot pan

   Pour the batter into the hot skillet — it should hiss loudly around the edges — and level it roughly.

   1 min

5. Bake

   Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then cut into wedges and serve warm with butter.

   25 min