Whip Up Dolly Parton's Cornbread With 3 Southern Staples And A Skillet

Dolly Parton's Southern roots really shine through in her cooking. Her favorite dessert is the Southern classic, banana pudding, and when it comes to side dishes, cornbread is at the top of the list. This quick bread, which is traditionally made in a skillet, has an origin story that begins with the Native Americans. It was initially just cornmeal and water that were baked into a bread that didn't taste anything like the cornbread recipes of today. However, this staple has come a long way, and when the "Jolene" singer-songwriter makes her version of this classic, she keeps it simple. Dolly only uses three ingredients: Self-rising coarse cornmeal, buttermilk, bacon drippings, and a little salt and pepper.

A recipe doesn't get much easier. While many will say the bacon drippings provide the secret sauce for this recipe, the cornmeal Dolly uses is equally important. The consistency of this bread is part of the experience. If you are using a fine cornmeal to make yours, you are missing out. For this reason, the singer-songwriter favors Martha White or White Lilly self-rising cornmeal because of its grainy texture. This will give you that crumbly golden crust that is not only synonymous with this bread, but will make you want to sink your teeth into it.

What you will love about Dolly Parton's cornbread beyond its ease is the fact that it is true Southern cornbread. While modern versions may call for sour cream, cheese, eggs, or sugar, these ingredients don't belong in your mix, especially the eggs and sugar. Cornbread is not supposed to be sweetened with sugar, and eggs will turn the texture cakey instead of dense and rich. You can add these add-ins to a rather long list of mistakes to avoid when making cornbread.

Dolly revealed to Business Insider that she likes to make her cornbread, which takes about 25 minutes to bake, with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus. They make them as muffins or in a pan. If you don't have anyone famous with whom to make yours, don't sweat it. That's one less person you will have to share it with.

If you need a little inspiration for what to serve your cornbread with, chili, fried chicken, and barbecue meats like pulled pork and brisket are always good dishes to start with. In a Facebook post, Dolly writes, "There's nothin' you can't eat with a warm wedge of cornbread alongside it. That's why I always take two pieces and slather them with butter while they're still warm." Amen, Dolly.