July 23, 2007 - 12:22pm
Malted Barley Syrup
I'm about to put together a formula of Mountaindog's version of Thom Leonards country french. I was wondering if anyone has had luck with using Malted Barley Syrup to make a more interesting flavor? I have used this in the past but I've never been sure it really matters much to the flavor. I do know the bacteria likes the extra food that the syrup provides. Any thoughts? Mountaindog?
Eric
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Okay, call me ignorant, but I use my own homemade maple syrup in place of Malted Barley syrup. If you look closely as to what they are and what role they play in our baking, they aren't too far apart. The only thing I can't get around is the enzymes. Which I can garauntee are destroyed during my 12 hr boiling proces on the syrup.
Any other Maple users out there?
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Two wrongs don't make a right. Three lefts make a right
Maple syrup makes a frequent appearance in my breads if I want sweetener, in fact I use it much more often than honey or molasses. Probably not cost-effective for most people though--they might do better to save it for their French toast. I couldn't say how it compares to the barley, which I use if a recipe tells me to, but in rather smaller amounts. Regular barley syrup doesn't have active enzymes, so there's another leveller (diastatic barley has the active enzymes.) Are you in New England, Mike?
North East Pa. but live in Michigan now. I do the maple syrup thing every spring about 12 miles from my house in Mid-Michigan. Every year I get a couple of gallons, so it's the sweetener of choice around here.
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Two wrongs don't make a right. Three lefts make a right
It's very strong tasting - kind of like a heavy duty molasses - I think many time it's added not only for a bit of flavor but also because it helps to make a beautiful brown crust.
Trish
It does have a nice full flavor. I have it in my mind that the malted component is similar to using diastatic malt powder or even the Non diastatic version that helps soften the dough and sweeten.
I added the syrup to both breads last night as I mixed the final dough. One is the Leonard country french and the other is my basic one step sd french bread. I can say that the one step french is very smooth and silky. It sat on the counter overnight and looks great this morning as it continues to ferment. The Leonard was mixed earlier in the day and is doing a 12 hour stint in the cooler. The plan is to have both breads ready to bake in the same session later this afternoon.
Eric
I just cut the first loaf of my Basic SD white with 2 Tablespoons of Malted Barley Syrup. It is really interesting and full of flavor. You can definitely tell there is something dark and smokey in the background. Big hit with the family.
The Thom Leonard is a gift so I won't get a chance to taste that big 4 pound-er but it looks great. I did shut down the oven to 375 for the last 30 minutes due to the color advancing a little faster than I had expected.
Overall I think I'll use more Malted Barley Syrup. It adds a nice depth of flavor.
Eric
Hi Eric,
Sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to your question earlier but it sounds and looks like your experiment worked great! I was going to suggest that when you add the barley syrup to the Leonard boule, you are getting close to the Columbia recipe, except when I make the Leonard I use a more sour rye stater and more rye flour, so it is more strong tasting. Those two are still my favorite recipes, though, and I switch off on them each weekend depending on my mood.
I've been really delinquent in catching up on TFL all summer but have been lurking briefly...between my job and my gardens, it's been crazy busy, I really look forward to fall, cooler weather, and more time in the kitchen (although I have managed to bake SD bread every weekend this summer).
I'll try to post more later - I have a new starter in the family that I got from Friends of Carl(Oregon Trail starter) and I've been doing a lot of taste experiments between "Carl" and my home grown starters.
--mountaindog
Good to see you again md. I have been playing with 2 new starters that have taught me a lot about cultures and taste. One I got from a friend that is a SFO culture and it's great for a robust white mid hydration reliable SD flavor. Not to sour, more mild but still great flavor. The second thing I have been doing is trying to learn the Detmold-3 rye process. I have found the rye starter I made from Samartha's technique to be very strong in rising ability and flavorful in all types of bread. I'm now making 100% rye and WW loaves with varying amounts of wheat that look and taste good. I also have slowed down for the summer but I manage to keep us in bread most days.
If you missed it, there is a very good newsletter this quarter from the sfbi that speaks to the kneading/folding/preferment/flavor issue we have been discussing. I think you would find it very interesting, I know I did. Confirmation of a few thoughts I have had in my mind.
Anyway, good to see you again and I hope to see you more often in the future. ehanner(at)gmail.com
Eric
I'll look forward to hearing your opinions on the Oregon Trail starter this fall. In the meantime, happy gardening!