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
I made two batches of this cornbread for the Crockpot dressing you posted on here for Thanksgiving! EVERYTHING WAS A SUCCESS!! The next day my aunt even asked me for your website so that she could make the dressing. Also, my other aunt was so crazy about the dressing that she didn’t want to share it with the rest of the family LOL! This was my first time making turkey and dressing for Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for being a part of a successful Thanksgiving dinner :D.
This looks great. The recipe seems very similar to my Granny’s except it has twice the buttermilk. Wonder if that makes it more moist.
@Billy:
Baking soda only works as a leavener when mixed with something acid (like buttermilk, yogurt, or lemon juice for example).
Baking powder is a mix of baking soda, tartaric acid (a powder), and something to prevent caking/clumping.
I’ve seen a lot of old recipes that use soda and some kind of acid, along with baking powder for extra leavening.
PS: My hubby says he doesn’t like biscuits made from baking soda, but biscuits made from baking powder are fine. I just keep my mouth shut, ha ha (maybe the baking powder people do something extra to it for all I know, but it’s still funny to me).
yankee, thanks for asking “the question” we nawtherners were all thinking lol. also, thanks for coming back to give measurements on how much sugar.
southern plate, you da best! I love reading your recipes….they remind me of my grandmother’s cooking that I grew up with. She and my grandfather are from southwest GA (go dawgs! lol).
SP,
I added 1/4 cup sugar and sprinkled some over the top as well. Aside from accidentally smoking the Crisco (was eating while pan was pre-heating), it came out just the way we like it. I also realized I forgot the egg the first time. D’Oh! This is perfect, though. 🙂
hi, i just made ur corn bread and its very good, being from the deep south, mississippi coast i love corn bread, i also made ur hoe cakes…they were very very good…my wife said she does the same thing but omits the milk and uses bisquick…i didn’t have the heart …ok sctatch that…i was to afraid to tell her….loll…that urs is much better, her’s doesn’t hold together well…i love the crust on urs…
i do have a question about ur corn bread…you say use self rising flour AND baking soda…i thought the baking soda is what made it rise, soooo if the corn meal is self rising whats the baking soda do? just wondering tasted excellent….i have a few great recipes myself…i love ur writing and sense of humor…ur full blooded southern…
My mama always used those ingredients just like the “Taste of Georgia” cookbook said and for years, I have too. I don’t have the answer….I just know it works and is Slap yo’ mama good.
My aunt makes “sweet” cornbread which is ok, but it’s just not real cornbread to me. Mine always comes out too dry, so I’m going to give this a try tomorrow. Then I’ll have to substitute it in her “stuffing” recipe for Thanksgiving too, right? lol Thanks so much for the recipe!
You can leave out the egg to make it more moist and less crumbly.