Cornbread is so easy to make from scratch, but there's nothing more disappointing than cutting into a cooled cornbread to find that it's dry and crumbly. However, there is a secret to moist cornbread, and that secret is buttermilk. You can thank the buttermilk (and, let's be honest, the sugar) for this sweet, moist, and tender cornbread. This recipe is easy to make, and it's foolproofand it's tastier and fresher than anything you can make out of a box. You can mix this together in just five minutes or so on a lazy sunday afternoon while a savory beef and bean chili simmers away on the stove, or a chicken chili cooks in a crock pot. By the time it bakes and cools, dinner's ready. Don't have buttermilk, or can't find it in the grocery store? You can make your own substitution for buttermilk at home by adding 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice per 8 ounces (1 cup) of milk (whole is best, but any will work). You can also substitute plain yogurt, too, on a 1-to-1 basis, as you would with the acidified milk. Cornbread takes well to additions, and mixing in more corn, adding cheese, or using some yogurt will guarantee a more moist and flavorful result.
