Baking with Cornmeal and Oatmeal

Oatmeal and cornmeal; cheap, readily available and in any serious cook’s kitchen, are great for baking.  Besides the obvious corn breads, you can bake both cornmeal and oatmeal into everything from muffins and quick breads like scones, loaves and biscuits to pancakes, waffles, cookies, desserts and cakes.  Some of my favorite yeast bread recipes have either cornmeal or oatmeal for nutritional value, appearance and interest.

Medium- and fine-grain cornmeals are most often used in baking, because they produce a lighter texture.  I use either old-fashioned rolled oats or quick rolled oats depending on the recipe.

I’m not particular about brands; I buy mine in bulk from the Dutchman’s Store in Cantril, Iowa.  They are usually H&R or hotel and restaurant brands there.  Quaker, of course, is a commonly available brand name.  Martha White, Aunt Jemima, Bob's Red Mill, Shawnee Best are also available depending on where you live.

Here are the downloadable free cookbooks pictured above to help you use these cereals in your baking!

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BakeIt Better With Quaker Oats.  

TheFlavor of American Tradition: Corn Meal and Grits Recipes.  

The Quaker Oats Wholegrain Cookbook. [1980]

*PDF's are courtesy of Michigan State University Library's Little Cookbook Collection