Southern Cornbread recipe

This is how we make corn bread in our family. Cornbread is super easy and nothing is better hot from the oven. Try it, especially if you have only had greasy little corn muffins from Cracker Barrel.

Now I like yellow cornmeal and my mother and grandmother would only eat white. The result was that somebody was always unhappy with the cornbread on Sunday night! The recipe is the same either way.

3/4 cup cornmeal mix----Martha White yellow self rising cornmeal mix with hot rise
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 cup buttermilk (you can add 1 tab vinegar to plain milk if you don't have buttermilk)
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
bacon grease and sugar are optional

Heat your oven to 450 degrees, put your iron skillet in the oven.(this skillet was my great grandmother's) The skillet needs to be hot so you get a good crunchy crust. Add 1 scant tablespoon  of bacon grease to your skillet.

 When your skillet is good and hot swirl your skillet around to coat the bottom then pour the remaining grease in your batter. (very important for a good taste) You can use oil, but it really, really loses something.
When frying bacon just pour your grease into a container and keep ine the fridge. Just a tiny bit will really flavor your dishes.

Whisk your drys together add the eggs and liquid, don't forget the grease and put in the hot oven. About 15 minutes or until golden brown.

When you pour in the batter it will start cooking along the edge of the pan before you get it in the oven.

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown, flip out of pan and leave it upside down so your crust stays crunchy.

Now, I know people say real southern cornbread doesn't have sugar...well, we usually add just a tablespoon. It does not taste sweet at all but it does make it better. I think a lot of southern cooks sneak in a little sugar and don't tell anyone.
One other thing, if you like your cornbread super dense and crunchy only add 1 egg and use a little less flour. If you wanty it fluffier and softer inside keep the above recipe.

I thought when I had my own home the cornbread debate would be over..but no, my husband likes it flat and crunchy and I like it fluffy and soft inside. So I only fix it flat and crunchy if I want something! LOL

Tell me how you like your cornbread; yellow, white, sweet, flat, or crunchy?