Preheat and prepare your pan: Set your oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or Gas Mark 6. Place a 25cm cast-iron skillet or a 20cm square baking tin inside the oven to heat up. This step is crucial—the sizzle when you pour in the batter creates that signature crust. You’ll hear a satisfying hiss when the batter hits the hot pan.

Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and sugar if using. Whisk them together until the mixture looks uniform and smells faintly of toasted corn—that’s your cue that the dry base is ready.

Blend the wet ingredients: In a separate jug or bowl, whisk the eggs until they are pale and frothy, about 30 seconds. Pour in the buttermilk, the melted butter (which should be warm but not hot), and the honey. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and looks like a creamy, pale gold emulsion.

Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula until just combined. You’ll see a few lumps—that’s fine. Stop mixing as soon as the flour streaks disappear. The batter should look thick, shaggy, and smell buttery and sweet.

Pour into the hot pan: Carefully remove the hot skillet or tin from the oven using oven gloves. Drop a small knob of extra butter into the pan and let it melt, tilting the pan to coat the bottom and sides. Immediately pour the batter into the centre. You’ll hear a loud sizzle and see the edges start to cook instantly—that’s the sound of success.

Bake to golden perfection: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes. The cornbread is done when the top is a deep golden brown and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan. Insert a skewer into the centre; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The kitchen will smell nutty, toasty, and utterly irresistible.

Rest and serve: Let the cornbread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. This resting time allows the crumb to set so it doesn’t crumble when you slice it. Then tip it out onto a wire cooling rack or serve it straight from the skillet. The crust should crackle as you cut into it.