Why use barley flour?

Barley flour is used to prepare breads such as barley bread. It is sometimes added to wheat flour, creating a composite flour, which is used to prepare various breads. Its addition to wheat flour creates a darker-colored baked end-product, and also alters the flavor of the product.

What is barley flour made from?

Barley flour is made from milling pearl barley, or whole grain barley that’s had its outer husk removed. You can use barley flour as a substitute for part of the flour in a baking recipe for health purposes and to achieve certain variations in texture.

In baking, malted barley flour needs to be used in combination with wheat flour. For yeast risen goods, you can safely swap in up to 1/4 Malted Barley Flour; for non yeast-risen baked goods such as cookies, quick breads, up to 1/2.

During the dough forming stage, malted barley flour provides specific enzyme activity that converts the starches in the wheat flour into simple sugars. These sugars are very important as they provide a food source for the yeast to maintain proper fermentation activity and aids in proper crust browning.

What is the difference between barley and wheat?

Barley and wheat are both important domesticated crops belonging to the grass family. Wheat is ground into flour before use in baked goods and other foods, while barley is mostly eaten in whole grain or pearled form. Both contain gluten, making them unsuitable for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

Does barley malt contain wheat?

Brews containing wheat and barley make up wheat beers, which contain anywhere from 30-70% wheat. In addition to the wheat malt, Pale Malt or Pilsner Malt is typically used. Hefeweizens usually contain 4-5% hops and are unfiltered. It has an alcohol content of 5% to 5%.

Despite having a gluten-free labeling rule in place, there are manufacturers who still believe that if they test their final food product for gluten using the sandwich R5 ELISA and it tests below 20 parts per million of gluten then they can label the product gluten-free, regardless of ingredients.

What are the different sources of barley malt?

There are a few obvious sources of barley malt and its derivatives (barley malt extract/syrup and barley malt flavoring). If you run into a product that declares itself malted, such as malt vinegar or a malted milkshake, your alarm bells should go off.

What is malt flavoring made from?

Malt flavoring can be made from barley malt extract/syrup or from a combination of barley malt extract/syrup and corn syrup. Is there gluten in malt? When malt is derived from barley it contains gluten. Tested gluten levels vary, but barley malt and its derivatives are off limits for those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.