Cornbread

"If God had meant for cornbread to have sugar in it, he'd have called it cake" Mark Twain

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
10" cast-iron skillet

2 cups stoneground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups buttermilk
2 medium eggs (well-beaten)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoonful salt
2 tablespoonsful unsalted melted butter (slightly cooled)
1 level teaspoonful baking soda (dissolved in 2 teaspoonsful of whole milk)
1 tablespoonful of unsalted butter for skillet

Mix the cornmeal and flour together in a large bowl with a whisk, gradually add the buttermilk, then 2 tablespoonsful slightly cooled melted butter.

Next, whisk the sugar and salt together in a small bowl, add this to the mixture. Then add the beaten eggs. And lastly, add one level teaspoonful of baking soda dissolved in 2 teaspoonsful of whole milk. Whisk all ingredients together quickly.

Place 1 tablespoonful of unsalted butter in the bottom of the cast-iron skillet. Place the skillet in the 450 degree preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and carefully tilt the skillet to coat the sides and bottom of the pan with the melted butter.

Pour the cornbread mixture immediately into the hot pan. Level the mixture carefully.

Bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cornbread. Serve warm with a dollop of fresh butter.

If you are not going to eat your cornbread immediately, let it cool on a wire rack in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack. This keeps the bread from becoming soggy.