Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Cornbread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish (if using glass, reduce heat to 375F).

Whisk or sift the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients and pour the melted butter over the top of the batter. Stir until all the ingredients are moistened yet thoroughly blended, but take care not to overmix. Add any extra ingredients, such as bacon or pecans, at this time.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until golden around the edges and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into thick squares.