Golden Northern Cornbread With Bacon

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon, diced, cooked until crisp
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal, stone-ground (or white)
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra softened butter for greasing the pan

Directions

1. 1

   1. Place diced bacon in medium skillet over medium heat; fry until well browned and crisp. Drain, cool, and set aside.

2. 2

   2. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat to 425 degrees. Grease a 9-by-9-by-2-inch metal pan.

3. 3

   3. Stir cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Push dry ingredients up side of bowl to make a well.

4. 4

   4. Crack eggs into well and stir lightly with wooden spoon, then add buttermilk and milk. Stir wet and dry ingredients quickly until almost combined. Add melted butter; stir until ingredients are just combined. Crumble bacon and fold into batter.

5. 5

   5. Pour batter into greased pan. Bake until top is golden brown and lightly cracked and edges have pulled away from side of pan, about 25 minutes.

6. 6

   6. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Cut cornbread into squares and serve warm. (Pan can be wrapped in foil up to 1 day. Reheat cornbread in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.).