How to Make Cornbread in 7 Steps

Set a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat and drop in a stick of butter. As it melts, preheat the oven to 400 degrees so the pan is ready when the batter is. Once the butter is fully melted, kill the heat and let half of it stay in the pan. You'll use the other half in the batter. That hot buttered pan is what gives cornbread its crackly bottom crust, so don't skip the preheat.

Pour the cornmeal into a large mixing bowl. Add the kosher salt and a small pinch of cayenne. The cayenne won't make the cornbread spicy. It's there to wake up the corn flavor. Give it a quick stir with a whisk so the salt and pepper are evenly distributed before any wet ingredients hit the bowl.

Drizzle the honey straight into the cornmeal. Chef John prefers honey over white or brown sugar because it adds a softer floral note that plays well with the buttermilk tang. Pour by eye - a quarter cup is the target, but a tablespoon more or less won't break anything. If you only have sugar, that works too.

Crack two large eggs into the bowl and pour in the buttermilk. How much buttermilk you add here determines the final texture - more buttermilk gives you a moist, tender cornbread, while less gives you a drier, crumblier old-school version. A cup and a quarter is a good middle ground. Whisk until the batter is mostly smooth.

Add the self-rising flour to the bowl and pour in half of that melted butter from the skillet. Whisk gently until the flour disappears. Don't beat it. The more you mix flour-based batters, the more gluten you develop, and gluten makes cornbread chewy instead of tender. A few small lumps are fine. Stop the moment the streaks of dry flour are gone.

Scrape the batter into the buttered cast iron skillet using a spatula. You should hear the edges sizzle the moment they hit the pan. That sizzle is the crust forming. Smooth the top out with the back of the spatula so the batter sits evenly across the pan. Don't bang the pan to flatten it. Let the heat do the work in the oven.

Transfer the skillet to the center of the 400-degree oven and bake for about 25 minutes. The top should be deep golden with a few darker caramelized spots from the browned milk solids in the butter. A toothpick stuck in the middle should come out clean. Let the pan rest 10 minutes before slicing - cutting baked goods too hot tears them up. Cut into wedges and spread a little softened butter on top. A drizzle of extra honey doesn't hurt either.