Classic Skillet Cornbread

Cornbread is a staple of Southern cooking.  Because there are so many variations to cornbread, it is the perfect accompaniment for meals.  It should not surprise you to learn that there is a competition devoted to cornbread dishes.

The National Cornbread Festival is held annually outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Sponsored in large part by Lodge Manufacturing, a maker of cast iron cookware, thousands of people participate in the festival every year.

The recipe below came about as the result of a search by me for a basic, non-sweet cornbread.  In a previous post, I shared my recipe for Prize-Winning Cornbread Muffins.  This is a deliciously moist and sweet cornbread that I have made many times.

However, recently I wanted a cornbread without the sweet taste.  After searching online without success, I found a recipe on the back of a bag of Hodgson Mill stone-ground cornmeal.  The recipe below is modified from there.

Preparation
If using buttermilk substitute (see Notes*), prepare first. 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

While mixing the batter, put 2T of butter in a cast iron skillet** and place in the oven during preheating.

Ingredients
2T butter or margarine
2C corn meal
2t baking powder
1t baking soda
1t salt
1T ground flax seed (or 1 egg)
2C buttermilk* (decrease by 1/4C if using egg)

Directions
Place 2T of butter in cast iron skillet and place in the oven during preheating.  In a mixing bowl, combine other ingredients and mix well.  Remove skillet from oven and pour in the batter.  Return to the oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. 

Notes
* You can create buttermilk by combining 1C of milk with 1T of lemon juice.  Mix well and let sit for about 5 minutes.

** The 9-inch cast iron skillet works the best.