Malt belongs in beer – that much is clear. But it is also a popular ingredient in many baking recipes. After all, the properties of malt that are appreciated by brewers can also produce great results in baked goods.

Malt extract, malt powder, malted flakes – what next? Well-stocked supermarkets and organic markets nowadays stock a good selection of malt products. We take a look at their differences and uses:

Malt powder is malt that has been ground to make flour. It is often used for baking bread or rolls as it provides a better crust and a loose consistency. But be careful – this is only true for diastatic malt powder (with enzyme activity), and make sure you don’t use too much (rule of thumb: approx. 3% of the total amount of flour), as the bread can otherwise become too soggy. Inactive malt (non-diastatic) does not have this effect, but merely provides a malty flavor and a darker color.

To make malt extract, the malt is crushed, moistened and heated for a certain time. After that, the solid components are separated from the liquid and the water extracted over steam to create syrup or solid malt extract that can be used as a sweetener, spread on toast or put in candies.

Similar to e.g. oat flakes, flaked malt is made from whole grain (in this case malted barley or rye). Like malt powder, it is used to create a more grainy, malty taste in bread.

So malt is a popular ingredient for making savory bread and rolls. But we have also found some sweet recipes that are perfect for the festive season. Where can you find the ingredients? Malt powder is now available in many supermarkets, and malt extract can be bought in organic markets. For small amounts of brewing malt or spent grain (left over after mashing) you probably need to have a hobby brewer among your friends – or be one yourself.

Malty biscuits:
https://www.radionz.co.nz/collections/recipes/alisons-malty-biscuits

Malted caramel slices:
http://saundersmalt.com.au/recipe/malt-caramel-slice/

Sticky malt loaves:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1411653/sticky-malt-loaves

Malted apple cake:
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/create/food-and-drink/recipes/a145/malted-apple-cake/

Spent grain cookies:
https://brooklynbrewshop.com/blogs/themash/9-spent-grain-cookie-recipes/

Speedy Beer Bread
Here is a super-quick beer bread recipe as a special tip – for when you have no bread at home and the bakery is closed:

Ingredients:

  • 350 g flour
  • 1 bottle beer (330 ml, room temperature)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp malt powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Butter

You can experiment with different ingredients, for example why not try a malt or wheat beer or adapt the composition of the flour (different grains, wholegrain, flakes etc.).

Method: Preheat a fan oven to 190°C. Mix all the ingredients except the butter to make a sticky dough and pour it into a loaf tin. Place small knobs of butter on top and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. That’s it! The bread is best eaten warm with butter. It will make your mouth water!