½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter + 2 TBSP for baking
1 ½ cups cornmeal, medium-grind or finer*
1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour, regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs, at room temperature**
⅔ cup honey or maple syrup
1 ½ cups buttermilk or milk of choice at room temperature
Optional serving suggestions: additional butter, honey or jam
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet in the oven to get nice and hot.
Melt 1/2 C. butter on stove top
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir to combine, and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter and honey until fully blended. Add the milk and whisk until evenly combined.
Pour the liquid into the dry mixture, and stir just until moistened through (we’ll stir it more soon).
Remove hot skillet from the oven (carefully!) and drop in the 2 Tbsp butter and let it melt and get bubbly. Pour the batter into the hot skillet, it should sizzle a bit and the butter may pool up around the edges, that's what you want.
Carefully return the skillet to the oven and bake until the bread is brown around the edge, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs, 20 - 25 minutes. Carefully (with oven mitts), place the skillet on a cooling rack. Let it cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving—perhaps with extra butter, honey or jam on the side.
This cornbread will keep at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or up to a week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Gently reheat before serving.
