Golden Southern Fried Cornbread (Southern Cornbread Squares)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15–20 minutes
Serves: 6–8
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
1 cup of yellow cornmeal (fine or medium grind)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of sugar (optional, but traditional in some regions)
1½ tsp baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
1 large egg
¾ cup of buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp of vinegar).
2 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil
For frying:
¼–½ cup vegetable oil or traditional bacon grease
Instructions:
Mix the dry ingredients
In a bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add the wet ingredients: the egg, buttermilk and melted butter. Stir until smooth, but do not overmix. The batter should be thick.
Heat the oil in a skillet (cast iron is best) over a medium heat until hot but not smoking.
Fry the cornbread
Pour the batter into the skillet and spread evenly to a thickness of about ½–¾ inch.
Cook for 7–10 minutes on each side until deep golden brown and crispy.
Drain and rest
Remove from the pan and place on kitchen roll to absorb excess oil.
Slice and serve.
Serving ideas:
Drizzle with honey or hot honey.
Serve with collard greens, fried chicken or chilli.
Spread with butter or jam.
Tips for perfect fried cornbread:
Don’t flip too early — wait for a firm crust!
Bacon grease adds an authentic Southern flavour.
Keep the heat medium to avoid burning.
