Adding barley malt to rye bread
I've been asked to produce a naturally-leavened bread with no wheat in it. Some weird diet, but that's not the point. I'm trying a variety of 100% rye recipes to come up with one I like best. I tried Stan Ginsberg's Auerman/Borodinsky Rye from The Rye Baker, modified to use a couple of barley malts instead of the recommended rye malt. It turned out okay but didn't rise as expected (and all stages took much longer than predicted) and is quite a brick. Tastes wonderful though.
So here's the question - does adding barley malt (the grain, not the extract) do anything much other than adding flavour? I've got a nice crystal malt (medium toasted malted barley) and a beautiful special malt that is hulless barley, toasted to the point of looking (and tasting) like tiny little coffee beans. It's a fabulous flavour to go with rye. I want to try the 100% rye from Daniel Leader's "Local Breads", but add a bit of one or both of these malts for added flavour. I just don't know if it will mess with the rise or anything. What do you think? Mini? Stan?
it will contribute amylase enzymes that will accelerate the breakdown of the viscous complex carbohydrate gels that are the basis of rye baking. This, in fact, may account for the fact that you ended up with doorstops instead of bread. I should also note that the Auerman is a pretty dense bread under even the best of circumstances, so I wouldn't be too terribly upset if the loaves had the personality of a brick.
If the malt is nondiastatic, as I imagine the darker crystal malts must be (amylases deactivate at around 185F), then the only thing they'd add, IMO, is that characteristic coffee edge. In moderation, that could produce a really interesting flavor profile (see the East Berlin Malt Rye in The Rye Baker). In excess, though, it could be pretty offputting.
Hope this helps.
I might also suggest that you browse both the blog and the book for other 100% ryes: there are a bunch in both places.
Happy baking!
Stan
Both these malts are non-diastatic (deactivated enzymes) though I do have a couple of untoasted malts to try sometime too. I was planning on using only a little bit because of the strong flavour, so your advice gives me hope!
I have browsed some of the other ones. I'm intrigued by the use of 'white' rye flour. I grind my own (stone), and there's quite a bit of 'crunchy' bits in it. I'm not sure how much would be left if I sifted it down to 'white', and as I grind it by hand I'm not sure how much effort I want to put into a loaf of bread! Not sure what to do with the sifted out bits either. Hmmmm.
You can add the leftover bits to any bread you are baking. I do this all the time. I used to buy "Cracked Rye" and it's basically the same thing. Adds a little extra flavor to any bread. You can also add some to your starter for extra flavor as well. I think you would have to do a lot of sifting to get down to the same consistency of commercially milled white rye. I buy mine from Stan or King Arthur Flour. You may want to buy some and then see if you can duplicate it. I'm too lazy at this point to try myself :).
enzymes are deactivated. There must be 30 enzymes in flour and 30 different proteins as well! I've seen some rye recipes with 8% red malt in them but have never used that much myself 2-3 % works for me. Here is a helpful enzyme link
http://www.classofoods.com/page1_7.HTML
Thanks dab for the link. Looks like I've got some reading ahead of me!
Jim