Potato Flake Sourdough Cornbread - Southern Skillet Style
Make the best potato flake sourdough cornbread, southern style, and top with black eyed peas or serve with chili. There’s nothing quite like a hot slice of skillet cornbread—crispy edges, tender middle, and that unmistakable depth of flavor.
Equipment
- 8 inch cast iron skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Plastic Wrap or Beeswax Wrap
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons (or kitchen scale)
- Small skillet or saucepan (for melting butter)
- Oven mitts
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal 180 grams
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 45 grams
- 1 egg
- 1½ tablespoons oil 16 grams
- ¾ cup milk 156 grams
- ⅓ cup sourdough starter 80 grams — active or discard
After Fermentation:
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For the skillet
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, an egg, oil, milk, and potato flake starter. Stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated into a thick, smooth batter.
- Stir until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The batter will be fairly thick and textured due to the cornmeal.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Allow the mixture to ferment at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight. This step adds incredible depth of flavor and helps break down the grains for better digestion.
- Tip: You can mix this up in the morning and bake it in time for dinner. Or prep it at night and bake fresh for breakfast!
- First thing after fermentation, preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Place your8-inch cast iron skillet over high heat on the stovetop and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Let the butter melt and the skillet become hot—this ensures a crispy, golden crust.
- Right before baking add in the baking powder and salt to the batter.
- Mix until just combined. Don’t over-stir—just enough to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Drop a small spoonful of batter into the hot skillet. If it sizzles immediately, it’s ready.
- TIP: If it doesn’t sizzle, give it another minute or so on the heat. That sizzle is key for developing that crispy bottom crust!
- Carefully pour the batter into the skillet, filling to about 1 inch from the top. If you prefer a thinner cornbread, simply add less batter.
- Transfer the skillet from the stovetop to the preheated oven and bake for 20–30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set. Cooking time can vary from oven to oven.
- TIP: Check with a toothpick: It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- When done, carefully flip the skillet over onto a plate to expose the beautiful crispy side of the corn bread! If not serving right away, allow it to cool on a wire rack to prevent the outside from getting soggy.
Notes
No cast iron? Use a metal cake pan, but preheat it with the butter in the oven to mimic the crispy bottom. Adjust baking time as needed.
Larger skillet? Double the recipe foe a larger skillet of cornbread
Don't have time to ferment? Sometimes you need to whip something up in a pinch, so when this happens, don't fret, just skip the ferment time and jump straight into adding the baking powder and salt.