Baking & Snack - March 2009 - 75

MALT

Malt's Many

FACES

BY DONNA
ONNA BERRY
either a blended ice cream drink nor a "cold one,"
the malt discussed here is the secret ingredient
of many bakers. Because in addition to providing
sweetness to baked foods, malt ingredients serve
a number of unexpected and very appealing functions.
"Malt-enhanced baked products are legend," said Joseph
Hickenbottom, vice-president, sales and marketing,
Malt Products Corp., Saddle Brook, NJ. "Their extra
palatability, richness and overall consumer acceptance
lead to increased sales by bakers using them."

WHAT IS MALT? Malt is produced when cereal grains are
sprouted to activate their enzymes. This is followed by
germination and drying. The term malt has become synonymous with malted barley because this cereal grain is malted
most often and is used in the production of beer. However,
other grains such as wheat and rye can also be malted.
"Malted barley is considered a natural sweetener with
a rich, distinctive flavor and aroma," said Mike DeLuca,
vice-president, Domino Specialty Ingredients, West Palm
Beach, FL. "This maltose-based nutritive sweetener is an
excellent alternative to highly refined sugar and nonnutritive syrups."
Mr. Hickenbottom added, "Rather than contributing
a strong malty flavor, malt enhances the natural flavors
inherent in the flour, yeast, shortening and even other
sweeteners used in many baked products."
For example, malt helps to buffer and round out the
whole-grain bitterness found in many multigrain products, according to Mr. Hickenbottom. "The type of malt
to use for this functionality is a nondiastatic liquid or dry
extract, or a malt ingredient that has been blended with
corn syrup," he said. He also pointed out a distinguish-

From
functionality
to flavor, malt
ingredients offer
a wide range
of applications
and benefits.

ing characteristic of malt ingredients - the presence
of enzymes, referred to as diastatic, and the absence of
enzymes, commonly called nondiastatic.
The two vary in functionality. "Diastatic malt is used
primarily by bakers to supplement the amylase in wheat
flour. This provides sugar for fermentation, in addition
to improving pan flow, crumb color and break-and-shred
in bread-type products," Mr. DeLuca said. "Nondiastatic
malts can replace up to 50% of the sugar in dough. They
are valued as a flavoring and coloring agent for their
sweetness and natural humectant properties. The nutritive elements promote vigorous yeast activity, accelerate
dough conditioning and add flavor and aroma."
Bob Hansen, technical services manager, Briess Malt
& Ingredients Co., Chilton, WI, added, "Diastatic malt
that is dried more in the kiln during the malting process
develops intense malty or nutty flavors while preserving
some enzymatic activity. Such specialty diastatic malts
can be used at up to 3% to contribute flavor and color to
breads, pizza crusts and other yeast-fermented doughs.
"Kilning at higher temperatures and/or roasting results
in specialty nondiastatic malts, which are characterized
by pronounced flavors and colors," Mr. Hansen said. "Because they have no enzymes, these malts will not break
down dough systems. Light roasting creates reddish hues
and caramel/toffee flavors. Dark roasting imparts dark
brown to black colors and coffee/cocoa flavors."
BASIC TO SPECIALTY. The most basic malt ingredient is
malted barley flour. "Malt flour contains primarily α- and
ᮡ Kilning and/or roasting at very high temperatures results in specialty
nondiastatic malts characterized by pronounced flavors and colors.
BRIESS MALT & INGREDIENTS CO.

March 2009 / BAKING & SNACK

Baking & Snack - March 2009

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