Ok, so here are my bagels, not my first time making them.  I've actually been making bagels for several years now.  I haven't had any complaints about them, in fact, many people say they really like them!  However, I was on a quest to see if I could get more out of my bagels, see if I could make them better.  So, I tried Peter Reinhart's recipe, minus the baking soda in the water on most of the bagels. I did do 2 bagels in the baking soda.  I always thought that having baking soda in the water would make it taste a lot like a pretzel and I don't think that's how a bagel should taste!  Well, I was wrong, well according to my husband :)  Definitely a little tougher crust, in a good way and the malt adds a little but more flavor!  Other than that, they taste just like the bagels I've been making for years. 

But.....I'm not sure that the process I went through makes this bagel any better than the way I've been doing them.  I've been following a very simple recipe, flour, water, yeast, salt and sugar. Let is rise until double, divide into 4 oz pieces, shape, let rest for 20 minutes, boil for a minute each side and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400-425.  If I left the bagels to rise overnight in the fridge, they would turn out the same.  I just don't know if the retarding process is really necessary.  What do you think?

Hi all,

I have recently taken a liking to malt. I decided to try my hand at making a granary-style loaf. However, I don't have access to granary flour or malted wheat flakes. I can get wheat flakes, and I can get malt syrup, so I thought that maybe a combination of the two might be useful (perhaps toasting the wheat flakes and adding some malt?!). Since I have never tasted granary bread, I don't know what I am looking for... (Another option I've been thinking about is simply using coarsely ground caramel malt). 

So, if anyone can help in telling me how to approximated malted wheat flakes, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

Has anyone made the pizza dough recipe from AB&P.  The formula calls for malt.  I can't seem to find out what type of malt they use.  Is it the non-diatastic malt powder, or diatastic malt powder.  I tried finding the answer in the book, but didn't come up with anything, unless I missed it.  Thank you

I am trying to follow a bagel recipe and it asks for 1 tbs of "Diastic malt, either liquid or dry" and "Malt syrup, honey or sugar for boiling.

So I've scoured my local shops and I've managed to find a product called spraymalt in a brewing supplies store and malt extract from a health food shop (more detail below).

I'm happy to just throw in the malt extra where it asks for malt syrup as it can't be super critical if it suggests you can use honey or sugar. With the diastic malt however my (basic) understanding so far is that it has enzymes in it an that these might be important in producing bagels distinctive taste and texture.

Does anyone know whether either of the products I have found are likely to be 'diastic' and if not what difference that will make to my bagels?

Here's the blurb from the packet/jar:

SPRAYMALT MEDIUM. Rich malt flavour, ideal for bitters. Boosts the beer's natural body and results in a more rounded, mellow note to the final brew.

Use as a direct replacement for sugar in your brewing - lb for lb. Simply pour the sachet contents on to the beer kit extract in your fermenter and carry on brewing in the usual way.

Muntons Spraymalts are made using the finest premium malts, spray-dried into a fine soluble powder. This process is deisgned to retain all of the malt flavour, without imparting any burnt, off flavours. Spraymalts are ideal additions to any recipe, adding extra malt sugars and a delicious malt flavour.

Ingredients: Barley malt extract (from 100% malting barley)

HOLLAND & BARRET MALT EXTRACT

Traditional English Malt Extract. Delicios in baking, on toast or over cereals.

Hey All,

Just wanted to share with you a potentially successful bake.  This is my variation of Eric Kayser’s Tourte de Meule.  I was inspired by Don D’s bake here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/14445/eric-kayser039s-la-tourte-de-meule

I will post a crumb shot tomorrow.

Ingredients

300g WW

130g AP

50g Malted Barley Flour

350g Water

12g Kosher Salt

1/8 tsp ADY

962g Total Dough Yield

Directions:

9:00am – Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl, autolyse covered for 30 minutes.

9:30am – Knead 3 minutes in bowl with wet hands.  Do not add any extra flour.  Rest 30 mins.

10:00am – Knead 1 minute, rest for 1 hr.

11:00am – Turn dough, rest 1 hr.

12:00pm – Shape dough into boule, place in floured linen lined banneton/basket, proof for 2 hrs.

1:00pm – Arrange baking stone and steam pan in oven.  Preheat 550F.

2:00pm – Turn dough out onto lightly floured peel, slash as desired, place in oven directly on stone, pour 1 1/2 cups water into steam tray.  Bake 15 mins at 450F.  Rotate, bake for another 40 minutes at 425F.  Loaf is done when internal temp reaches 210F.  Cool completely before cutting.

I'd like to attempt the Jeffrey Hamelman's bagels which Lindy did a great job a few weeks ago.  However, I can't seem to find diastatic malt powder in the supermarket here (in China) :(.

I'd really love to do the bagels,  can anyone suggest an alternative that I can use? or if I exclude it,  will it make a difference?

Jenny

Can Briess be substituted for diastatic malt powder in a starter?

BACKGROUND TO QUESTION: I am new to this relm of baking better homeade bread.  I have hand made bread for years, but never really used a soaker, starter, pre-ferment, poolish, etc...

I am trying to start my first starter.  "seed starter" it is called.  The recipe calls for some diastatic malt powder.  I have read lots about it's use.  However, there is none available locally, and I don't have time to wait for shipping as I am in charge of making the bread for an anniverary party.  The closest our local "brew shop" had was Briess, a barley based malt.  This particular batch is the amber extract.

Thanks for your imput!

First post, but I've been reading here a while (with awe).  I've wanted to bake bread for 20 (30?) years but was too intimidated.  Last weekend, I finally tried the "Loaf for Learning" from Laurel's Kitchen (Whole Grain) Bread Book and it was fabulously successful!  Next project:  whole wheat everything bagels.

Laurel calls for malt syrup in the boiling water - no problem.  But the recipe also calls for non-diastatic malt SYRUP, which goes in with the flour, yeast, etc.  I could only find non-diastatic malt POWDER.  How do I substitute powder for syrup?  Hydrate it first? How?

Parenthetically, I chose Laurel's recipe over Peter Reinhart's because it looked easier for a newbie.  Has anyone tried both and how do they compare?

Thanks in advance for any light you can shed!

Janet

I purchased some Malt Powder at an Indian Market at our local Farmers Market.  Is there a difference between Malt Flour and Malt Powder. The Malt Powder has some bits of the hull in it.  It also doesn't say whether it is diastatic or non-diastatic.  I have used it in my bagel recipe (Montreal Bagels from TFL). They are most delicious.  

The malt shelf in the home-brew aisle of a local hardware store holds a bewildering parade of exotic titles, none of which say, "Best for Bread"!  I was reluctant to spend $20 on the wrong thing, so I slunk away malt-free.  The clerk seems clueless about beer-making, much less bread-baking.  Is anyone familiar with the typical malt offerings, and which one would be most appropriate?  (I know that I could order from an online bread supplier, but I'd rather spend the money on malt than shipping.) 

Thanks!

Terri