Cornbread recipe

   Good morning Thursday,

  Still raining here almost 24 hours each day since last weekend. Many areas of Missouri will be flooded for sure. Kinda early for these "Spring" rains.

   Several comments on my cornbread so I thought I would share the recipe.

I copied this recipe from King Arthur's Flour site back in 2004-I know because my page has the date on the bottom haha.  I was looking for a gluten free version of cornbread, as most don't realize that most recipes also have allot of all purpose white flour in the recipes. I didn't want that-I just wanted cornmeal.

   This recipe is no longer on their site unless they changed the name of it. This is the best recipe for us and is written for cast iron pans as well.

Note: I always double this recipe to get a full pan to the top. It says it is for 8" skillet, my square cast iron pan is almost a 10" so doubling the recipe works perfect for me

Not-Northern Cornbread by King Arthur Flour Baking Circle 2004

   (since this was part of the baking circle perhaps that is why not on their site, I used to belong to that back then)

4 teaspoons bacon drippings or 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or a combination of bacon fat butter oil.  (I use a bold olive oil)

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt (I don't use salt in any recipes)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup boiling water

3/4 cup buttermilk  (I don't usually have this in my frig so I keep on hand a dehydrated buttermilk power)

1 large egg lightly beaten

Decide what fat(s) you are going to use, and put them in an 8" cast iron skillet. Place the skillet in a preheated 450 degree f oven, and let the fat(s) melt and become hot while you prepare the cornbread batter (note: I start with a cold oven for this so the oils do not get too hot)

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk 2/3 cup cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda. In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/3 cup cornmeal and the boiling water, stir to blend. Add the buttermilk to the cornmeal/water mixture and whisk til most of the lumps are gone. Stir in the beaten egg

Stir together the wet and dry ingredients, mixing til just combined. Remove the hot skillet from the oven and pour any excess fat into the cornbread (I always forget to do this)  Spoon the batter into the skillet spreading it evenly over the bottom. Return the skillet to the oven, and bake the cornbread for about 20 minutes, til it's starting to brown around the edges, and the center springs back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the cornbread to a cooling rack-will slide right out (I don't do this I just leave in the cast iron pan as it keeps it warm for serving right away)