Add the cornmeal, salt, and sugar to a medium bowl and mix them until fully incorporated. 

Now heat up about 1 cup of water until it is boiling. You will only use a little over half of this water. Make sure that the water is boiling so that your cornmeal gets the proper texture you need.

Once the water comes to a boil, gently begin pouring a little bit at a time into the bowl with the cornmeal. Stir the water in as you pour it. Once the cornmeal and water form a soft dough that is stiff enough to stick to the bowl, that’s when you know you’ve added enough water.

Be careful not to add too much water. Now add the melted butter into the cornmeal and mix it in until fully combined. Set the dough aside and let it rest for about 7-10 minutes.

While the dough is resting, heat up about ½ inch of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until it reaches 350°.

Once the oil is hot, form the cornmeal dough into round patties that are about ½ inch thick. You should be able to make about 4 pieces of cornbread.

Gently add the patties to the oil and fry them on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Once the hot water cornbread is done, remove them from the grease and place them on a cooling rack or a bed of paper towels to drain the excess grease. And enjoy!