Old Methodist Corn Bread Recipe

How to make it

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• THE NIGHT BEFORE
• The night before baking the corn bread, soak the cornmeal in the buttermilk. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight.
• BAKING DAY
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place bacon on sheet pans. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon to paper towels to cool. Drain off the fat into a can or stainless-steel bowl and save for greasing the corn bread pan. When the bacon has cooled, crumble into coarse pieces.
• Lower the oven setting to 350 degrees.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
• In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
• Dissolve the honey in the melted butter and then stir the warm honey-butter mixture into the eggs.
• Add egg mixture to the soaked cornmeal mixture.
• Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Stir until ingredients are blended only. Do not overbeat.
• Stir in the corn kernels until they are evenly distributed.
• Place 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat into a 10" round cake pan or you can also use a 9x13 or 12-inch square pan or a 10” iron skillet. Place the pan in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the fat gets very hot.
• CAREFULLY, tilt the pan to get grease to all edges of the pan.
• Pour the batter into the center of the pan, letting it ease out spreading it from the center of the pan to the edges. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon pieces evenly over the top, gently pressing them into the batter.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until the corn bread is firm and springy.
• Baking time will vary dependent on your pan and oven. A toothpick inserted into the bread will come out with only a very few cooked crumbs on it. The top will be a medium golden brown.
• Allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm. Makes one 10-inch round bread.