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Preheat your cast iron skillet before pouring in the batter. Heating it allows the cornbread crust to form immediately, which is full of flavor and will lock in the moisture.
Baking cornbread in a well-seasoned cast iron pan easily trumps other cooking vessels. You can achieve an immediate crispy crust by preheating your pan in the oven, getting it piping hot, then pouring in your cornbread batter. The effect is a toasty, slightly nutty, complex flavor. At the same time, the interior of the cornbread becomes extra fluffy, thanks to the immediate influx of heat and steam. Your cast iron pan receives benefits in turn. Cast iron is naturally nonstick thanks to seasoning. Since cornbread recipes rely on oil, fat or butter for their tender crumb, they’re great for adding a nice new layer of seasoning to your pan that gets baked in as your cornbread bakes. In fact, cornbread is universally known as one of the best dishes to cook when breaking in new cast iron. While making cornbread from scratch is admirable, many of us have kids or appetites that just won’t wait. For an easy and yummy shortcut, we love Hayden Flour Mills Yellow Cornbread Mix. The mix is super easy, just add water and an oil of your choice, mix and bake! If you want to elevate it, you can add your own additions like corn kernels, spices, maple syrup, or honey. For a perfect fall recipe in a Field No.8 Skillet that includes the addition of canned pumpkin check out Easy Pumpkin Cornbread. Special Offer: Just for Field customers, Hayden Flour Mills is offering 15% off your first online order with the code HAYDEN+FIELD (offer good until October 14, 2023)
Coat the hot pan with a generous amount of butter, olive oil, or other fat before adding the batter. This will enhance the effect of the crust and help it release cleanly after baking.
Once baked, allow the cornbread to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing it from the pan. It should release easily by inverting the pan over a cutting board or plate. You can also slide a spatula underneath to lift it out.
If slicing the cornbread in the pan (we love serving it directly on the table from the pan), just be very careful to make a gentle cut so you can avoid scratching your seasoning.
Don't store the cornbread in the pan or leave it sitting for more than 30 minutes, as the moisture can start to erode all that great new seasoning you just baked on. Cornbread is very forgiving in terms of the size of the baking vessel you use. It’s equally delicious if it comes out thick or thin, so don’t overthink it! And if you end up with extra batter, you can always make a couple of muffins. Here are ratios that worked for us with a box of Hayden Flour Mills Yellow Cornbread Mix:
Reduce baking times for smaller pans and thinner cornbreads. Start your timer for 15 minutes and check every 3-5 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted at the thickest part. Thick cornbread in a larger pan can take 35-40 minutes.
Relationships come and go, but the one between cast iron skillets and cornbread is built to last.
Cornbread is easy and delicious with Hayden Flour Mills Yellow Cornbread Mix
Tips for Baking Cornbread in Cast Iron:
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Recipe adjustments for other sized Field Skillets