– ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter – 1 ½ cups medium grind cornmeal, preferably stone ground – 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour – 1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 teaspoons regular salt – 2 teaspoons baking powder – ½ teaspoon baking soda – dash cinnamon – 1 ½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature – 3 large eggs, at room temperature – ½ cup maple syrup (preferably grade B) – 1 ½ cups fresh cranberrie
Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle. Put the stick of butter in a 10–12-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square baking dish and bake for 5–10 minutes.
Mix cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs, and syrup in a medium bowl until smooth.
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until moistened. When the butter is melted and golden brown but not burnt, carefully remove the sizzling skillet from the oven and swirl to coat.
After adding the cranberries, pour the melted butter into the batter and stir just until everything is mixed together. While the pan or skillet is still hot, pour the batter into it.
For 25–35 minutes, bake the skillet until the bread is brown around the edges, springy, and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean with crumbs. Let bread cool on a wire rack. Wedge or square serve.