Pre-Soaked Skillet Corn Bread
Pre-soaking the corn meal in buttermilk makes for a more tender, less gritty corn bread.
Cooking in a pre-heated skillet makes a nice, crispy bottom crust on the corn bread.
Baked in 10-inch cast iron skillet
1 cup Yellow Corn Meal
1 1/4 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt thinned with a little milk
1 large egg, beaten; or 1/4 cup Original Eggbeaters
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
COMBINE in a bowl, the Corn Meal, buttermilk and beaten egg. Mix well. Place covered in fridge for at least 2 hours (or up to overnight) to pre-soak and soften the corn meal.
Combine in another bowl, the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Set aside until needed.
After the corn meal mixture has soaked for at least 2 hours, stir in the vegetable oil.
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Grease 10-inch cast iron skillet and heat for at least 15 minutes in oven.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add another 1/4 cup of buttermilk if necessary to make a loose batter.
Pour corn bread batter into heated, greased, cast iron skillet and place in pre-heated oven.
BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, or a probe thermometer reads at least 190-F and the top is slightly browned. Serve warm.