Deep South Buttermilk Cornbread
You may think this is a bold statement, but this Deep South Buttermilk Cornbread is the best cornbread recipe you’ll ever try. If you want the moistest, classic Southern cornbread, you need this recipe.
I got an email from a reader, Terri (who is originally from Georgia, go Dawgs!) telling me she made world-famous cornbread. I was intrigued. Then she told me that her husband said she made better cornbread than his Mama. I was stunned. Then she told me that her cornbread recipe included two cups of buttermilk. My jaw was hanging open.
Clearly, my life would not be complete without trying this buttermilk cornbread recipe. Fortunately, she graciously shared the recipe with me. Let me tell you my personal experience with this cornbread: everyone in my family gobbled it down.
That might not seem like a big deal until I tell you that before I made this, cornbread had not ever passed the lips of either of my children (they are weird). My husband (who has extremely strange aversions to staple Southern dishes despite being born and raised outside of Atlanta) even ate a rather large piece and came back for seconds.
I have never had cornbread so moist in all of my born days. I am flabbergasted and feel certain that no small amount of my existence has been wasted up until tasting this. Soft and unbelievably moist on the inside with that classic crunchy cornbread crust, I can’t wait for you to try and fall in love with this buttermilk cornbread recipe too.
So without further fuss, here is Terri’s buttermilk cornbread recipe!
What You’ll Need to Make Deep South Buttermilk Cornbread:
Ingredients:
- White cornmeal
- Buttermilk (or put a tablespoon of lemon juice in whole milk)
- Egg
- Baking soda
- Flour
- Salt
- Bacon grease (or melted butter)
- Shortening
How to Make Deep South Buttermilk Conrbread:
Preheat the oven to 450. Slather a cast-iron skillet with vegetable shortening (Crisco). If you really want to make this and don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a cake pan. Do the same thing with it.
Stick the skillet (or pan) in the oven while it preheats so it will be good and hot.
Whisk your cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Add melted bacon grease (or melted butter).
Add your egg…
And buttermilk.
Like so. Now we’re going to stir it all up until it looks like this.
Now get your hot skillet from the oven (carefully) and pour in the batter. It should be hot enough that the batter sizzles when it comes into contact.
Place the delicious in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until you can’t stand the waiting any more!
Remove your Deep South Buttermilk Cornbread from the oven and turn it out onto a plate. Eat it hot with butter or honey.
Take a bite and see if you don’t yell out “Go Dawgs!”
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat it quickly in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
- You can also freeze cornbread portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating as above.
Recipe Notes
- Remember to not overmix the batter. You just want to mix the ingredients together until the dry ingredients are just moistened and there are no big lumps (about 1 minute of whisking will do it). Overmixing cornbread batter can lead it to be tough.
- The key to Deep South Buttermilk Cornbread is preheating the skillet or baking pan, as that’s what gives the cornbread its crunchy crust.
- For sweet cornbread, you can add 1/4 cup of white sugar, brown sugar, or honey to the batter.
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with Deep South Buttermilk Cornbread?
Skillet cornbread is such a deliciously versatile recipe!
- Serve it with butter and honey for breakfast.
- Substitue boring bread for sensational and serve it with your favorite chili, stew, or soup.
- Enjoy it the Southern way alongside your favorite BBQ meat, like Southern-style air fryer wings, crockpot pulled pork, tender beef ribs, or slow-roasted beef brisket.
- Make another Southern staple: red beans and cornbread.
- Use it to make other recipes, like crockpot cornbread dressing or cornbread salad.
- Serve it alongside other classic Southern side dishes, like collard greens, fried okra, mac and cheese, and green bean casserole.
Can I make Deep South Buttermilk Cornbread in advance?
Yes, you can definitely make cornbread up to 2 days ahead of time and store it, covered, at room temperature. I recommend serving it warm though, so quickly reheat it in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
Check out these other scrumptious cornbread recipes:
Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie Made From Scratch
Jiffy Cornbread Casserole With Ham and Cheese
Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins with Cream Cheese
Homestyle Broccoli Cheese Cornbread
How To Make Hot Water Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cornmeal enriched white
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or bacon grease
- 1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450.
- In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, add a tablespoon of shortening and preheat.1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
- Sift together the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients (buttermilk, egg, and bacon grease/melted butter). Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened.1.5 cups cornmeal, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 cups buttermilk, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Pour the cornbread batter into the now-hot prepared pan or skillet. Bake in the preheated hot oven at 450 for 20-25 minutes.
- Serve warm with butter.
For ease, try using Martha White or White Lily buttermilk corn meal mix and corn oil and buttermilk. So easy. The rest is the same. Heavenly. with soups.
I’ve been on a cornbread making spree over the last couple of months and have used the Martha White Buttermilk cornbread mix and it really is good! And yes, I still have a couple of cast iron skillets! Sometimes I add a few tablespoons of flour since my mom and grandmother usually used a little more flour (about 2/3 white cornmeal and 1/3 flour–both self rising of course!). I was finished with college, married and out of the house before I realized there was anything other than self rising flour. Maybe once my dad bought plain flour by mistake and ruined my mom’s cornbread! He was from Missouri–not a Southerner like the rest of us–so she said he didn’t know any better and she didn’t notice until it was too late.
I’ve been making cornbread like this for 50 years. The only difference is, I put melted bacon grease on the top before I put it in the oven, and I use whole milk buttermilk instead of lowfat.As a matter of fact, I’m making it for supper today to go with my pot of beefy vegetable soup.It’s a perfectly gloomy day for it.
I am in canada and when I can I use bacon grease for making scrambled eggs, fried tomatoes and corn bread. I love my bacon grease.
I do too
I only have an 8 inch cast iron skillet and since I live alone I don’t really need a larger one. Could you give me some guidance on how I might could reduce this recipe for an 8 inch skillet? Thanks so much.
This was some dawg gone good Cornbread! I had always filled the Martha White recipe. Hers don’t hold water compared to this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
This a favorite at the Dennis house! I’ve made this recipe time and time again, and it’s always perfect! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Christy, I just saw the Dixie Cornbread recipe – and it reminds me of my own, as I like the batter very moist and for it to sizzle when it hits the hot iron skillet! I haven’t seen my suggestion, but I might have missed it – and I admit that this is over the top, but it SHO is GOOD. When I turn the cornbread out of the skillet on a big round plate, I split it crosswise as soon as I can handle it, using a long serrated edge knife. Then I put a stick of softened butter onto the lower layer, and pop the top back on. 🙂 MMMMMmmm! Good! the butter penetrates the whole cornbread, that way .. I hate to get hold of a dry piece of cornbread!