by Madeleine Baerg
Can you name an ingredient that milkshakes, beer and pizza dough often have in common? If you guessed malt, you’d be right! What you may not know is that this versatile ingredient can lend its unique flavour and many benefits to a wide variety of foods.
What is malt?
Malt is produced when a cereal grain – usually, premium barley grown from special malting varieties – goes through a controlled sprouting and roasting process called malting. Available as a dried whole grain, a ground powder or a liquid extract, malt has a distinctively sweet, nutty or bread-like flavour.
Malt is best known as an ingredient in beer and whiskey production, where it contributes to both the fermentation process and the final product’s flavour. Malt is such a critical component of the brewing process, in fact, that it’s often referred to as the “soul of beer.” A lightly roasted malt is the key to a pale, subtle beer, while a darker, heavily roasted malt will deliver a stout or other “malty” brew.
Malt’s uses go far beyond alcohol, however. Its unique flavour and super-powered enzymes make it a useful addition in many recipes. Malt can enhance flavour, build aroma, add colour, support fermentation, improve texture, add natural sweetness, enrich nutritional content and even extend shelf life. Because of its many benefits, malt is used in many foods, from cookies and savoury sauces to beverages and even baby food.
Though sweet, malt is a healthier natural sweetener than refined sugar. It contains B vitamins, folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, phosphorus, magnesium and essential amino acids. However, because malt is generally made from barley, it is not gluten free.
How is malt made?
Malting is a three-step process of starting and stopping seed growth. It starts with “steeping” or soaking barley or other cereal seeds in water. Next, the seeds are put in a warm, moist environment, where they begin to germinate. The sprouting process activates enzymes in the seed that break down its starches into sugars – hence malt’s sweet taste.
Once the seed has sprouted enough, they are dried using hot air in a kiln to stop the growing process while preserving the desired enzymes. The length and temperature of drying influences the final product: a shorter, cooler drying produces malt with a lighter colour and a caramel, nutty or biscuity flavour, while a longer, hotter drying process produces malt with a deeper, darker colour and a heavier, roasted or toasted flavour.
Quick tips for using malt in your kitchen
Interested in trying malt in your own cooking and baking? Here are some tips to get you started!
- Choose the right type of malt for your recipe.
There are many different types of malt, each with its own unique characteristics. Pale malt is light in colour and flavour, while darker malts like Munich and chocolate malt provide deeper colour and heavier, more complex flavours. Diastatic malts – those with their active enzymes preserved – are best for breads, as these malts boost a yeasted dough’s rise. Non-diastatic malts, which lack active enzymes, offer flavour and colour enhancement in sweet and savoury dishes. Malt is available as whole seeds or ground powder. For maximum freshness, grind seeds at home using a food mill, or opt for malt extract as a convenient alternative to whole grains. - Remember that a little malt goes a long way.
Malt can highlight other flavours but be careful: its unique taste is strong! Especially when added as a liquid extract, malt can overpower a dish if it isn’t used sparingly. Use a small amount of malt to start and balance its flavour with complementary ingredients. - Keep malt’s sugar content in mind.
Malt is typically used as a flavouring rather than a sweetener. However, don’t forget to factor in its sweetness. When adding malt to a recipe, you may need to reduce other sugars. - Experiment!
Malt can be used in a variety of recipes, including breads, desserts and even savoury dishes. Try experimenting with different types of malt to add unique flavours and complexity to your favourite recipes. Remember that its benefits go beyond flavour: malt can be useful to increase fermentation in some recipes, to strengthen the texture of dough and to add colour, too.
