[Sca-cooks] made my first loaf of bread

[Terry Decker]

Hmmm, mealy.  I assume this is a basic wheat bread.  If so, I'd say either 
you have the wrong ratio of liquid to solid or the dough did not get 
thoroughly mixed and kneaded.

There are two forms of malt used in baking, dry powdered malt (usually 
diastatic malt AKA diamalt) or liquid malt extract.  The powder provides 
additional enzymes which help break down the wheat starch into usable sugars 
and improves the rise.  One or two teaspoons of diamalt (for a two loaf 
recipe) blended into the flour before mixing the solids and liquids helps 
improve the rise without altering the flavor.  Much more and you pick up the 
flavor of the malt.  Malt extract is commonly used as a sweetener that 
replaces sugar or honey in a bread recipe.

There is an argument as to whether diastatic malt (enhanced by additional 
diatase) or non-diastatic malt does best for bread.  Diamalt with too much 
diatase produces additional liquefied starch and dexetrins which in turn can 
reduce the water holding capacity of the dough and permit it to slacken in 
the rise.  Non-diastatic malt requires more malt be added to produce the 
required effects.

Malted milk, which is commonly used in malted milkshakes, is a mixture of 
malt powder, wheat flour and dried milk solids.  No reason it can't be used 
in baking, but non-diastatic or diastatic malt should give you better 
results.

Bear

> Anyone know how to make it less mealy?
> Also, has anyone used "malt," the stuff you use in a malted milkshake, in
> baking?
>
> -- 
> Ian of Oertha