# Cornbread Sticking in My Cast Iron



## georgiadawgs44

I don't use my cast iron skillet for anything but cornbread and I don't make it all that often. I've been using it for years and all the sudden the cornbread is sticking. I made a pan about a month ago and it stuck so I coated it in Crisco and reseasoned it. The next batch I did came out fine, then today's batch stuck. I've got it in the oven now with Crisco in it. I never wash it, just wipe it out with a paper towel. Any ideas as to why and is there a better way to season it? Thanks!


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## georgiadawgs44

I've had it in a 350* oven coated in Crisco for an hour or so. I took it out and took a pic of what it looks like now. Looks seasoned to me. I also took a pic of the bottom of it to show y'all cause I think it looks cool!


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## GA1dad

No clue and no help at all,,,but I like the pan,,, and love some good cast iron cornbread!!


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## georgiadawgs44

Now that it's cooled off, it does feel a little tacky in the middle.


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## Lukikus2

Cool pan! You're doing it right. The pan just wasn't hot enough when you poured the batter in. Looks good.


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## georgiadawgs44

Lukikus2 said:


> Cool pan! You're doing it right. The pan just wasn't hot enough when you poured the batter in. Looks good.



So, I need to heat the pan before I pour the batter in? Hmmmm,,,, I never knew to do that. Thanks!!


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## northgeorgiasportsman

The way it's done at my house...  Heat some grease to sizzling hot on the stove then pour in your batter.  Then put it in the oven and finish it. Your pan looks seasoned in the pic.


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## NE GA Pappy

I always put a blob of Crisco or lard in the pan, and stick it in the oven @400 to preheat.  I start mixing up all the ingredients and when it is ready, I take out the pan and sprinkle a little cornmeal directly into the pan, just enough to say I have a coating in the pan.  Then I pour the the mixture into the pan and bake it at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes, until it is brown on top and a toothpick come out clean


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## georgiadawgs44

I'll sure try that next time! Thank y'all!


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## JustUs4All

Heat your pan up real good and be sure to grease it before adding the batter.  Here are a couple of very old recipes to try out.

Southern Corn Bread
(No wheat flour, only white cornmeal. It is essentially corn, and that is what good corn bread is all about. This batter is also great for corn sticks.  One batch will do 4 of my stick pans. Only 2 pans at a time or the pans will over cool while filling.)

2 eggs, room temperature
Scant 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups white cornmeal
2 tsp salt
2 tblsp Bacon Drippings
2 tsp sugar


Put bacon drippings in an iron frying pan or iron Corn Stick Pans. Put pan(s) in the oven and Pre-Heat to 450F while mixing the batter. 

In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add the buttermilk. In a mixer bowl, stir together baking soda, cornmeal, salt, & Sugar. Pour in the egg-buttermilk mixture and beat until the batter is smooth.

Carefully pour batter into heated pan or Fill corn stick pan slots to ½ full only.
Return immediately to the oven and bake until it sets. Insert a knife blade in the center of the bread.  If it comes out clean and dry, the corn bread is done.
Done in about 10 -12 Min.


Corn Pone
2 cups white cornmeal
3 tbsp. Bacon Grease
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tsp. salt

Put fat in skillet and skillet in oven & Pre-Heat to 450º.

When oven is ready, pour hot water into meal to make batter.
Slosh oil around Skillet and pour excess oil into the batter.
Mix well

Spread mixture evenly in the hot skillet.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Broil for the last 2 to 3 minutes if you like to make it extra golden brown and crispy around the edges.

(makes about 6 servings)
The same batter will make hoe cake on a griddle.


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## NE GA Pappy

we grind our own cornmeal from white corn.  I have to sift it 2 or 3 times to get the hard kernel out of the meal. 

We always add a little flour. It makes the cornbread a little lighter.

2 cups corn meal
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup of oil
enough buttermilk to get the consistence you want.
sometimes we add 1 tbsp of sugar, but most of the time I don't.

I like my mixture about like thick gravy.  Thick enough that you can't pour it out of the bowl, but not so thick that a little urging with a spoon won't slide it out of the bowl into the skillet.  

Ain't nothing like good fresh ground cornmeal.  The store bought stuff won't hold a candle to it.


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## Paymaster

I just smear crisco on the whole inside surface and pour the cornbread mix into it cold. Put into a 400* oven and bake until done. It falls right out every time. I been making that way since before I was married fortytwo years ago.My CI pan is that old as well. I can't remember it ever sticking. I just wipe it out when I am done and put it away.


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## georgiadawgs44

JustUs4All said:


> Heat your pan up real good and be sure to grease it before adding the batter.  Here are a couple of very old recipes to try out.
> 
> Southern Corn Bread
> (No wheat flour, only white cornmeal. It is essentially corn, and that is what good corn bread is all about. This batter is also great for corn sticks.  One batch will do 4 of my stick pans. Only 2 pans at a time or the pans will over cool while filling.)
> 
> 2 eggs, room temperature
> Scant 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
> 1 tsp baking soda
> 2 cups white cornmeal
> 2 tsp salt
> 2 tblsp Bacon Drippings
> 2 tsp sugar
> 
> 
> Put bacon drippings in an iron frying pan or iron Corn Stick Pans. Put pan(s) in the oven and Pre-Heat to 450F while mixing the batter.
> 
> In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add the buttermilk. In a mixer bowl, stir together baking soda, cornmeal, salt, & Sugar. Pour in the egg-buttermilk mixture and beat until the batter is smooth.
> 
> Carefully pour batter into heated pan or Fill corn stick pan slots to ½ full only.
> Return immediately to the oven and bake until it sets. Insert a knife blade in the center of the bread.  If it comes out clean and dry, the corn bread is done.
> Done in about 10 -12 Min.
> 
> 
> Corn Pone
> 2 cups white cornmeal
> 3 tbsp. Bacon Grease
> 1 1/2 cups boiling water
> 1 tsp. salt
> 
> Put fat in skillet and skillet in oven & Pre-Heat to 450º.
> 
> When oven is ready, pour hot water into meal to make batter.
> Slosh oil around Skillet and pour excess oil into the batter.
> Mix well
> 
> Spread mixture evenly in the hot skillet.
> Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
> 
> Broil for the last 2 to 3 minutes if you like to make it extra golden brown and crispy around the edges.
> 
> (makes about 6 servings)
> The same batter will make hoe cake on a griddle.



Those sound really good! Thanks!

I always have coated my pan in oil before adding batter but I never heated it before hand.


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## VANCE

Kylie coats the crap outta it with crisco and let's it preheat in the oven whe she makes the batter. Pour the batter in the pan and listen to it sizzle


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## Dr. Strangelove

VANCE said:


> Kylie coats the crap outta it with crisco and let's it preheat in the oven whe she makes the batter. Pour the batter in the pan and listen to it sizzle



That's what I do, pour enough oil to coat the bottom and sides of the pan (not much, maybe a tablespoon or a tablespoon and  a half) and stick the pan in the oven while it pre-heats.

If your pan is hot enough when you pour the batter in it sound like it's frying.


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## The Longhunter

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> The way it's done at my house...  Heat some grease to sizzling hot on the stove then pour in your batter.  Then put it in the oven and finish it. Your pan looks seasoned in the pic.



This.

Use some Crisco or if you can sneak it past the wife, lard.  About a large tablespoon.


I heat the pan in the oven so it will be good and hot (you can do it on top of the stove too, but I like to have the oven pre-heated), throw in that tablespoon of shortening, let it melt, and start to sizzle, slosh around the pan, throw in the batter.  That little hot grease gives you that nice brown crust.

At least that's the way my mother did it (well, she actually used bacon grease) and so that's the way I do it.

If you are in a Crisco free zone, I guess cooking oil would work.


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## NCHillbilly

Yep, I preheat mine while I'm making the batter, too. And dump the hot melted crisco into the batter.


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## northgeorgiasportsman

That's what's so awesome about this forum.  15 different ways to do it and I'm sure they're all delicious.


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## BDD

I cook about a ½ lb. of bacon and leave some of the grease in the pan, crumble the bacon
And put some back in the pan and the rest in my corn bread mix. Put the mix in the frying pan
and bake at 350 until nice and golden brown.


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## 7Mag Hunter

Txt my wife....She can tell you how to season
your pan.......30+ yrs and i am fat as a pig
on her cooking...She makes the Best cornbread you ever put in your mouth...

And NO i am not giving you her #..


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## georgiadawgs44

7Mag Hunter said:


> Txt my wife....She can tell you how to season
> your pan.......30+ yrs and i am fat as a pig
> on her cooking...She makes the Best cornbread you ever put in your mouth...
> 
> And NO i am not giving you her #..


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## georgiadawgs44

Well,,, I gave her another shot tonight. I heated up the pan just like y'all said and put the Crisco in the hot pan. It sizzled and so did the batter. Made a bit crispier and thicker crust too! I loved it! Thanks for the help!!!


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## The Longhunter

georgiadawgs44 said:


> Well,,, I gave her another shot tonight. I heated up the pan just like y'all said and put the Crisco in the hot pan. It sizzled and so did the batter. Made a bit crispier and thicker crust too! I loved it! Thanks for the help!!!



That's what I'm talking about.


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## tsharp

GD that looks good, now you have real butter to go with that?


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## Old Winchesters

That's the way we do it too....love the crispy bottom. I like it even better when only using a half batch and the pieces don't get real thick...


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## Old Winchesters

Old Winchesters said:


> That's the way we do it too....love the crispy bottom. I like it even better when only using a half batch and the pieces don't get real thick...



Oh and throw some corn and jalapeno bits in there to kick it up a notch.


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## pop pop jones

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> The way it's done at my house...  Heat some grease to sizzling hot on the stove then pour in your batter.  Then put it in the oven and finish it. Your pan looks seasoned in the pic.



Yep, pan needs to be smoking grease hot, when you pour the batter in. That is why your, (after you flip it) top isn't real brown. The hot grease fries the batter first.


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## tcarter86

i think im making corn bread tonight in my case iron pan 

you guys got me wanting some bad. hope i get the same results as GD. it will be my first attempt


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## bigelow

Lukikus2 said:


> Cool pan! You're doing it right. The pan just wasn't hot enough when you poured the batter in. Looks good.




That's how I was shown  

Awesome cast iron D.


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## georgiadawgs44

Thanks everyone! TC, I hope it turns out good! Show us how it came out.


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## nockemstiff

Lord that looks good.  Sharing those old recipes and folks grinding their own corn, Lord have mercy I know that would taste something awesome.


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