Nanny's Indiana Corn Bread

Name: Nanny's Indiana Corn Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 c yellow cornmeal (fresh, and preferably stone-ground); 1 c unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 Tbsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 1/4 c buttermilk; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1 egg; 1 Tbsp sugar (optional); 1/4 c corn oil; 2 Tbsp unsalted butter or lard

By Amy Rosebrock
@SnapDragon

Best made in a caste iron skillet.
It took me years to find a recipe that tasted just like my Great grandmothers corn bread. She would measure with her palms and put " A little of this, a dash of that" in her food and never wrote anything down. She took with her so many amazing recipe's that I'm slowly and surely finding. One day I'll make a recipe book with just foods that she made in it. She was an outstanding southern cook.

Rating:

★★★★★ 3 votes5

Comments:

16 Comments

Prep:

10 Min

Cook:

25 Min

Ingredients

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1 c

yellow cornmeal (fresh, and preferably stone-ground)
1 c

unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp

baking powder
1/4 tsp

salt
1 1/4 c

buttermilk
1/4 tsp

baking soda
1

egg
1 Tbsp

sugar (optional)
1/4 c

corn oil
2 Tbsp

unsalted butter or lard

How to Make Nanny's Indiana Corn Bread

Step-by-Step

Put the skillet in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients except for the baking soda in a bowl.
In another bowl, mix the buttermilk and the baking soda.
Set aside.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with the sugar until combined.
Add the oil and mix until combined.
Pour this mixture into the buttermilk/baking soda, and mix.
When the oven is preheated, toss the lard into the skillet and let it melt.
Meanwhile, pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix in as few strokes as it takes to just make the dough come together.
Pull the skillet out of the oven, swirling to get the butter covering the bottom and up the sides of the skillet.

Pour the batter immediately into the pan, smoothing the top, then back into the oven for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and pulled away from the sides of the pan.
Turn out onto a cutting board, cut into wedges and serve.