skip to main content

Bread Making - What is the Difference Between??

14 years ago

I pulled out a previously unread copy of Crust and Crumb (unread due to my fear of making bread) and want to make a starter.

What is the difference between diastatic malt powder and barley malt powder? The starter recipe calls for Diastatic Wheat or Barley Malt Powder.

From Amazon:

1.

Diastatic Malt Powder, 1 lb. by Barry Farm

Buy new: $9.91

2.

Barley Malt Powder, 1 lb. by Barry Farm

Thanks.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

grainlady_ks
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Source: Cook's Thesaurus
malt powder = malt flour Notes: You can make malt powder by allowing whole grains to sprout briefly, drying them, and then grinding them into a powder. Commercial malt powders are usually made with barley, and they're used extensively by commercial bakers. There are two main types of malt powder: diastatic and non-diastatic. Diastatic malt contains active enzymes which help break starch down into sugar. The extra sugar feeds the yeast in the dough, helping the bread to rise, and also gives the bread a browner crust. It's often used to make crusty breads.

Non-diastatic malt doesn't have active enzymes, but it gives baked goods better flavor and a shinier, browner crust. It's used in everything from bagels to croissants to breakfast cereals. Don't confuse malt powder with malted milk powder, which also contains powdered milk and wheat flour and is used to make beverages. Look for malt powder in health food stores or baking supply stores.
When making sourdough breads, they sometimes have a very light (anemic\-looking) crust, and the addition of diastatic malt can help alleviate that. Diastatic malt does all of sugar's jobs and has none of the shortcomings. It's rich in enzymes and vitamins, so when malt is added to dough it gets a nutritional boost, not like the empty calories and non\-nutritive \- sugar. BUT, adding too much malt can cause problems. Too much and you have bread that will be "over\-proofed" and you might have a nice gummy, sticky dough and when baked will have an alcohol smell and a dense crust. Malt extract is used the same as diastatic malt powder. I make my own diastatic malt powder for pennies by sprouting wheat (or barley \- you can even make it with rice, although I've only used wheat or barley) at home. When the sprout is as long as the berries themselves (2\-3 days), dry them in a dehydrator (set at 100\-degrees F) until completely dry. Do not let the temp. get above 130\-degrees F or the enzymes will be destroyed. Then grind the dried malted berries into flour, and use it in your favorite recipe at a rate of approx. 1t. per loaf. You can grind/mill the sprouted dried wheat berries in a coffee/spice mill. If you are getting "into" Crust & Crumb, be sure to skip the Banana Bread recipe (pgs. 162\-164). There is an error in the recipe I discovered years ago when we had a discussion about this recipe on King Arthur's Baking Circle message board. The ratio of dry ingredients to liquid ingredients is off \- the amount of flour needs to be doubled. The recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes (pg. 177) is also one of the most insipid recipes I've ever tried. McDonald's pancakes are better than this recipe!!! There's a lot to learn in C&C.... but I've also made a lot of good naturally\-leavened bread without Peter Reinharts "master formulas", using a nearly 100\-year old form of sourdough starter called "Everlasting Yeast" from an elderly friend, as well as using Carl Griffith's 1847 free for the asking (http://carlsfriends.net/). So consider C&C just one person's opinion and information. Not necessarily the gospel. Find a method you like that works for you. \-Grainlady
MichelleDT
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Grainlady - THANKS SO MUCH for the detailed information. My husband loves bread so I am going to give bread making a more focused try....I also ordered The Bread Makers Apprentice not realizing they are by the same author.

Hopefully they will be different enough in content.
Related Discussions
What is the difference between soup and stew?
Q
Comments (35)
Renee, I think Rachel Ray is too "cute" for my taste and I can't watch her for long, but Ashley and Amanda both like her, maybe it's the age thing? Anyway, I could listen to her more comfortably if she'd stop with the little abbreviations and nick names and cook something. And how in the world is "sammie" shorter than sandwich, they both have two syllables, geez... Now, please note that I said the girls like to watch her show. They've never cooked a single one of her recipes, they both say she has too many ingredients to ever make anything in half an hour. As for Soup v Stew, here's what "LaRousse Gastronomique, The world's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia" has to say. Yup, I have it right here, the boss bought it for me for Christmas! Soup: A liquid savory food served at the beginning of a meal or as a light meal in itself. There are many soups which make a heavy meal, including Italian minestrone and chunky seafood chowder. Originally in France the soupe was the piece of bread on which was poured the contents of the cooking pot (potage). Soupe and Potage are now often synonymous.... Stew: The term stewing means long slow cooking in liquid. This may be done on the stovetop or in the oven. In either case the heat should be low enough to prevent the liquid from doing more than barely simmering. Ingredients are covered with liquid and a generous portion of flavouring ingredients, such as root vegetables. Stews should be always be rich, an intensity resulting from the mingling of flavors, extraction of juices and breaking down of connective tissue and gelatinous substances. The extended cooking time usually results in significant evaporation... In other words, I don't know. (grin) Annie
...See More
Zo bread machine making dry bread?
Q
Comments (5)
When it comes to bread recipes (machine or manual), the flour measurements are just a good guess (and sometimes they're not even "good"). Gluten amounts in flour will vary from bag to bag and brand to brand; and gluten is a main determinate for proper hydration. If your flour is stored in the bag in a humid kitchen, then there will be more moisture in the flour than someone who stores flour in an air-tight container in the dry environment of the freezer/refrigerator - as a secondary source for some hydration. If you change the type of flour called for in the recipe - from all-purpose to high-gluten bread flour (or vise versa) - or you substitute part of the high-gluten flour for a low-gluten flour (rye, spelt, kamut, barley, oat, etc.) - you'll also need to alter the hydration. As others shared, you MUST check and adjust the hydration as needed. Start checking it about 5 minutes into the mixing/kneading. You want the dough to be formed into a soft, sticky ball. A solid ball is going to be too dry. When you touch the dough ball with your finger, a tiny bit should stick to your finger. A dry or stiff dough ball will result in dry bread just like making bread by hand. You can also switch from sugar to honey and you may find you have a crumb that is more moist. I'm another who never bakes in the Zo - it's just my main tool for mixing and kneading. I won't even let the dough rise in the machine - I'd rather control that in a dough rising bucket. Sometimes I want a long slow cool rise, which you can never get in a bread machine. I use freshly-milled flour, so allowing a timed rise in the bread machine tends to over-proof the dough. Freshly-milled flour doesn't have the extensibility commercial white flour has. Bread machines were designed to use commercial flour in them, and I never use commercial flour. I also bake breads to temperature - checked with an instant read thermometer. -Grainlady
...See More
Question for the bread makers-thoughs on bread making for income
Q
Comments (8)
It's really difficult to start up a home business--you have to be properly registered, you have to keep impeccable records, charge and pay the appropriate taxes. And when you decide to do something in the food line? Multiply the red tape by ten. You'd probably better start with the health department. In many jurisdictions, it's not legal to bake/cook food in a home kitchen for sale--if that's true where you live, you'll need to find an approved commercial kitchen to rent--and that's going to cut into your profits. Look, I hate to be a wet blanket, but I've done the home business thing--many years ago, and it didn't involve food. It turned into a nightmare. You have to do every little tiny thing by the book. Perhaps check in with the agency that promotes small businesses in your area. Or what about contacting a restaurant or two, to see if they might be interested in paying you to come to THEIR locations to bake your bread for their use--you might have to do that in the middle of the night, when they aren't preparing meals, but it might be an interesting solution. Pack up some samples of your best wares and visit some of the local independents. Good luck, but please be sure to do all your research before jumping into something that could end up costing you more than you'll make. And hey, if you're good at creating recipes? I'd highly recommend considering recipe contesting. That costs you next to nothing, and can bring in truly big bucks (I've made up to $25,000 for a single recipe, some contests pay even more).
...See More
What kind of bread to bake to make breadcrumbs?
Q
Comments (20)
The only method i found successful for mock panko is to take a fresh day old boule, or half a leftover one, remove the crust with enough "meat' to make some croutons, (for soups)....and cube the white crustless middles and toast low and slow and not brown. When cool and dry, pulse in the cuisinart to a crumb. Then back in the oven at a low 225, turn oven off and let rest in the oven for an hour...very dry but not toasted. A white bread, from a bbq white purchased bun left over, might be better but i rarely have that. (kids like a hot dog white bun)..... Just removing the crust from bread will make a good panko. When i make crab cakes or cod cakes, i don't want the crust flavor. i just want the simple white 'panko'...that does not gives a brown dried crust intrusion. I think of panko as texture and not a flavor. DH bought whole wheat panko by mistake over the holidays and it would have ruined my crab cakes. SO strong and odd. I used a smashed/crushed matzo instead. (always good in a pinch) The panko style works so well because they stick AND stay crisp. Neutral, non-toasted flavor.
...See More
lindac
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Every post of Grainlady's is a lesson...
Now I have to buy some diastatic malt powder....or buy a dehydrator and a grain mill.
Will that stuff from Bob's red mill work? or do I need to spent a bundle on shipping?
Linda C
grainlady_ks
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Linda,

Bob's Red Mill tends to have high shipping costs (in my experience). King Arthur also carries diastatic and non-diastatic malt powders, and other malt-type add-ins. Diastatic malt powder from KA is $5.95 for a 1-pound bag, which is a LOT of the stuff.

If you can set your oven lower than 130-degrees F, you can dry the sprouted grain in it. Even your oven with the light on will work (check the temperature close to the oven light, and other areas of the oven), but it will take longer (several days probably). And if you have a coffee/spice mill, you can mill a small amount of sprouted grain into flour in it. I suggest sprouting no more than 1/4 to 1/2 cup of wheat (or barley) to use for the project. I store my diastatic malt powder in the freezer.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: King Arthur Flour - Diastatic Malt Powder

Related Stories

MOST POPULAR 8 Little Remodeling Touches That Make a Big Difference

By Samantha Schoech

Make your life easier while making your home nicer, with these design details you'll really appreciate

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen Ideas for Bread Lovers

By Tiffany Carboni

Any way you slice it, a kitchen designed with bread in mind conveys warmth and homeyness

DECORATING GUIDES Single Design Moves That Make All the Difference

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

One good turn deserves a whole ideabook — check out these exceptional lone moves that make the room

MODERN ARCHITECTURE Architecture: How Details Can Make All the Difference

By Spry Architecture

To know what makes a home design a hit — or near miss — you've got to understand this key ingredient

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen of the Week: What a Difference Paint Can Make

By Becky Harris

A bold move gives a generic Portland kitchen personality without a major overhaul

HOMES AROUND THE WORLD Houzz Tour: Open-Plan Design Makes All the Difference

By Louise O'Bryan

The owners of a narrow cottage near Sydney revamp their home’s layout, adding flexibility and modernity on a budget

MOST POPULAR See the Difference a New Back Deck Can Make

By Becky Harris

A dramatic 2-story porch becomes the centerpiece of this Ohio family’s renovated landscape

DECORATING GUIDES Architectural Details Make All the Difference

By Janell Beals - House of Fifty

Are you missing an opportunity to enhance your home with brackets, cabinet feet and moldings?

DECORATING GUIDES Houzz Tour: Details Make the Difference in 700 Square Feet

By Mary Jo Bowling

Thoughtfully chosen furnishings, accessories and artwork turn a plain San Francisco condo into a place to call home

Member Photos: Small Touches Make a Big Difference

By Jonathan Baker

Inspiring Vignettes From a Creative Houzz Member's Home

Sponsored

17 Reviews

The Leading Interior Design Studio in Franklin County

More Discussions

Thinking of Petalique--What's your top 5 quick take-out?

12

What do you eat when it's REALLY hot?

30

Sigh. I bought some ice cream...

16

Have you made fruit leather? Any tips?

3

I can get ONE FREE spice. What would YOU choose?

16