Dixie Cornbread With Buttermilk
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You may think this is a bold statement, but this Dixie cornbread with buttermilk is the best cornbread recipe you’ll ever try. If you want the moistest, classic Southern cornbread, you need this recipe.
I got an email from a reader, Terri (who is originally from Georgia, go Dawgs!) telling me she made world-famous cornbread. I was intrigued. Then she told me that her husband said she made better cornbread than his Mama. I was stunned. Then she told me that her cornbread recipe included two cups of buttermilk. My jaw was hanging open.
Clearly, my life would not be complete without trying this Dixie buttermilk cornbread recipe. Fortunately, she graciously shared the recipe with me. Let me tell you my personal experience with this cornbread: everyone in my family gobbled it down.
That might not seem like a big deal until I tell you that before I made this, cornbread had not ever passed the lips of either of my children (they are weird). My husband (who has extremely strange aversions to staple Southern dishes despite being born and raised outside of Atlanta) even ate a rather large piece and came back for seconds.
I have never had cornbread so moist in all of my born days. I am flabbergasted and feel certain that no small amount of my existence has been wasted up until tasting this. Soft and unbelievably moist on the inside with that classic crunchy cornbread crust, I can’t wait for you to try and fall in love with this buttermilk cornbread recipe too.
So without further fuss, here is Terri’s Dixie cornbread recipe!
What You’ll Need to Make Dixie Cornbread:
Ingredients:
- White cornmeal
- Buttermilk (or put a tablespoon of lemon juice in whole milk)
- Egg
- Baking soda
- Flour
- Salt
- Bacon grease (or melted butter)
- Shortening
How to Make Dixie Cornbread With Buttermilk:
Preheat the oven to 450. Slather a cast-iron skillet with vegetable shortening (Crisco). If you really want to make this and don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a cake pan. Do the same thing with it.
Stick the skillet (or pan) in the oven while it preheats so it will be good and hot.
Whisk your cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Add melted bacon grease (or melted butter).
Add your egg…
And buttermilk.
Like so. Now we’re going to stir it all up until it looks like this.
Now get your hot skillet from the oven (carefully) and pour in the batter. It should be hot enough that the batter sizzles when it comes into contact.
Place the delicious in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until you can’t stand the waiting any more!
Remove your Dixie cornbread from the oven and turn it out onto a plate. Eat it hot with butter or honey.
Take a bite and see if you don’t yell out “Go Dawgs!”
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat it quickly in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
- You can also freeze cornbread portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating as above.
Recipe Notes
- Remember to not overmix the batter. You just want to mix the ingredients together until the dry ingredients are just moistened and there are no big lumps (about 1 minute of whisking will do it). Overmixing cornbread batter can lead it to be tough.
- The key to Dixie cornbread is preheating the skillet or baking pan, as that’s what gives the cornbread its crunchy crust.
- For sweet cornbread, you can add 1/4 cup of white sugar, brown sugar, or honey to the batter.
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with Southern cornbread?
Skillet cornbread is such a deliciously versatile recipe!
- Serve it with butter and honey for breakfast.
- Substitue boring bread for sensational and serve it with your favorite chili, stew, or soup.
- Enjoy it the Southern way alongside your favorite BBQ meat, like Southern-style air fryer wings, crockpot pulled pork, tender beef ribs, or slow-roasted beef brisket.
- Make another Southern staple: red beans and cornbread.
- Use it to make other recipes, like crockpot cornbread dressing or cornbread salad.
- Serve it alongside other classic Southern side dishes, like collard greens, fried okra, mac and cheese, and green bean casserole.
Can I make Dixie cornbread in advance?
Yes, you can definitely make cornbread up to 2 days ahead of time and store it, covered, at room temperature. I recommend serving it warm though, so quickly reheat it in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
Check out these other scrumptious cornbread recipes:
Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie Made From Scratch
Jiffy Cornbread Casserole With Ham and Cheese
Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins with Cream Cheese
Homestyle Broccoli Cheese Cornbread
How To Make Hot Water Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cornmeal enriched white
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or bacon grease
- 1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450.
- In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, add a tablespoon of shortening and preheat.1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
- Sift together the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients (buttermilk, egg, and bacon grease/melted butter). Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened.1.5 cups cornmeal, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 cups buttermilk, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Pour the cornbread batter into the now-hot prepared pan or skillet. Bake in the preheated hot oven at 450 for 20-25 minutes.
- Serve warm with butter.
Nutrition
This is delicious. Shortcut — use self-rising corn meal & skip baking, salt & flour.
I am ashamed to admit this, being a born and raised Southern Girl, but I have never (EVER!) been able to master cornbread. Even with my grandmother’s iron skillet. Until I found this recipe! Oh my stars, people! This is the BEST cornbread ever. Ever!
I made the wonderful cornbread salad today and it’s far better than I expected! But I used my trusty cornbread recipe that I clipped off a bag of Alabama King cornmeal years ago. That’s still my favorite brand. I do make one variation sometimes, and that’s to use half yellow cornmeal and half white cornmeal. Normally I don’t use bacon drippings because I very seldom cook bacon; today, however, I “splurged” and now I remember why grandmama always used lard. Anyway, thank you for a very satisfying salad!
Bill
I was so excited to find this recipe. It is very similar to the one my family has passed down from generation to generation.
My 87 year old uncle remembers his grandmother making our cornbread. His mother, my grandmother, made cornbread and milk for supper every night until she died at age 90, 17 years ago. I am 53 and the tradition continues to my grandchildren already.
We use 1 cup of self-rising flour (but not Great Value brand cause it doesn’t rise well), 1 cup of white or yellow cornmeal, 1 heaping teaspoon of salt, and 1 heaping teaspoon of baking soda (not powder). Mix and add in about 1 and 3/4 cups water, until consistency of thin cake batter.
Put about 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in 8 inch black iron skillet.; put in oven as it preheats at 450 for 20 minutes. Carefully pour batter in hot skillet; it will begin to “fry”. place in oven for 30 minutes. Flip over onto plate so bottom crust is on top. (Our family fights for the crust) cut slices and put in bowl and cover with cold milk. cow’s milk if you have it. this is the best comfort food our family can imagine, and we feel sorry for those who haven’t had it!
I may have to make one tonight.
and I have my grandmother’s bowls that we used to eat our conbread in, so it’s highly sentimental and can make every night special to me.
Christy, I LOVE your recipes and comments.
Thank you for the recipe I have been wanting cornbread and milk, my parents were from Oklahoma and they just loved it that way. I guess I will be off to get some buttermilk….sounds like the right way to make it.
YAY!! I’ve been waiting for this recipe to be re-published…THANK YOU!!
Your cornbread recipe makes the bestest muffins and corn sticks to!!!!!!!!!
Try some new “steak sliced bacon” with a pot of turnip greens and navy beans.
Yum yum