Fieldgrade,
I made the recipe below in a 10" skillet and it only rose about 1/2 way up the skillet so I think it would be fine in an 8".
Instead of 2 cups of buttermilk, I used one 14.75 oz. can of creamed corn and 3/4 cup of buttermilk. I think maybe it doesn't rise as much because the cream corn makes a denser cornbread.
Anyway, it was good!
Skillet Cornbread Recipe – food.com
Ingredients:
Servings: 8-12
2 eggs
2 cups white cornmeal
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup bacon grease
salt (most bacon grease provides plenty of saltiness)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Put first 5 ingredients in mixing bowl. (If it makes you feel better, go ahead and mix the dry ingredients, whisk the eggs into the buttermilk, then combine dry/wet ingredients).
Mix with large spoon or whisk.
Put bacon grease in well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium to high heat.
Just as the bacon grease is about to start smoking, pour it into the other ingredients, stirring as you pour (if you can manage it). Leave enough in the skillet to coat the bottom and sides.
Pour entire mixture into the skillet.
Place skillet on middle rack of oven; bake until cornbread is springy in the middle, browned and pulling away from the skillet on the sides (about 15-20 minutes).
Remove from oven and invert skillet over serving plate. If cornbread does not drop easily, you may need to run an icing spatula or even a flexible metal egg-turner around/under it so it comes loose.
Recipe halves well, just remember you can’t cut the bacon grease by half because you still need to coat the skillet.
Serve hot, with plenty of butter.
