Buttermilk Cornbread

The question of whether to add sugar to cornbread is a highly debated topic. So much so, that it is best not to bring it up at your holiday table unless you want your celebration to potentially tailspin into a lively (if not heated) debate. Differences aside, we might have found something we can all agree on, and that is that this cornbread—which surprisingly calls on brown sugar—is good, darn good. We kicked up the texture gradient by calling for medium-grind cornmeal. It creates a nice crust and helps the interior stay pleasantly fluffy. Heating the skillet before adding the batter is a technique that many cornbread recipes call for—and was likely a trick used by Mama, Memaw, and the many who came before. When it comes to the flavor, you'll find that this take skews slightly tangy with lovely buttery notes mixed in. If you're looking to kick things up, fold in fresh corn or jalapeños or serve with hot honey.