Southern Style Cornbread

• bacon drippings (or 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil)↗4 teaspoons
• yellow cornmeal, preferably stone ground↗1 cup
• granulated sugar↗2 teaspoons
• table salt↗1⁄2 teaspoon
• baking powder↗1 teaspoon
• baking soda↗1⁄4 teaspoon
• water, rapidly boiling↗1⁄3 cup
• buttermilk↗3⁄4 cup
• large egg, beaten lightly↗1 large

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set 8-inch cast-iron skillet with bacon fat (or vegetable oil) in heating oven.

2. 2

   Measure 1/3 cup cornmeal into medium bowl. Mix remaining cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.

3. 3

   Pour boiling water all at once into the 1/3 cup cornmeal; stir to make a stiff mush. Whisk in buttermilk gradually, breaking up lumps until smooth, then whisk in egg. When oven is preheated and skillet very hot, stir dry ingredients into mush mixture until just moistened. Carefully remove skillet from oven. Pour hot bacon fat (or melted butter) from the skillet into the batter and stir to incorporate, then quickly pour batter into heated skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and instantly turn cornbread onto wire rack; cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.

4. 4

   Note: Though it is preferable to make cornbread in a preheated cast-iron skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or 9-inch square baking pan, greased lightly with butter and not preheated, will also produce acceptable results if you double the recipe and bake the bread for 25 minutes.