Directions

1. Put butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or an 8-inch square baking dish. Set skillet in oven on center rack and preheat oven to 350°F. When butter has melted completely (about 10 minutes), remove skillet from the oven. Set aside and leave oven on.
2. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Whisk together the buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl until well blended and smooth. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined (only a few traces of dry flour remaining). Add melted butter from the skillet (leaving a coating in the skillet) and stir to combine. Scrape batter into skillet.
3. Bake cornbread until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges or squares and serve. Leftover cornbread keeps, covered, at room temperature up to 1 day.