How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet & a Southern Cornbread Recipe

If you have a new skillet, or you have an old one that has lost its sheen, follow these easy steps to a finely performing, non-sticking skillet:

1.  Scrub it thoroughly with soap and hot water.  Dry well.

2.  Completely coat inside of skillet with a thin layer of cooking oil or shortening. 

3.  On the middle wrack, place coated skillet in oven.  Bake for about an hour at 300-350 degrees.  Allow skillet to cool in oven.

Tip:  Keep a skillet for the sole purpose of making cornbread.  Wipe out with a dry towel between uses.  (Soap and water will cause the skillet to need to be re-seasoned.) 

Now you are all ready to make some delicious cornbread!

Southern Cornbread

1 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal

1 slightly heaping tablespoon self-rising flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided

1 egg

1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour and baking soda.  Add 1 tablespoon oil, egg, and buttermilk to dry ingredients, using enough buttermilk to make it pancake batter consistency.  Stir just until blended. 

On stovetop, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in cast iron skillet.  Lightly sprinkle a little cornmeal in hot oil.  Add cornbread batter, beating in air as you pour into skillet.  Transfer to oven and bake 15 – 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.  Turn out onto serving plate immediately.

Notes:  If your skillet is newly seasoned, layer a coat of cooking spray before adding oil to pan.  Bake bread as directed.  The second time around, skillet will be even better seasoned and bread will turn out of pan with ease.

I follow the tradition of my mother and grandmother, using Sunflower Corn Meal Mix.  If you have access to it, give it a try.  Cornmeal brands make a difference, so experiment and see what you like best.