Search Results for: diastatic

06/09/08

Let’s talk malt.

I’ve had enough of horse racing and linguistics anyway. So what is malt, then? And why do so many bagel and other bread recipes call for it? In fact malt isn’t so much a thing as it is a process. “Malting” is a word that means the same thing as “sprouting”, or perhaps more precisely, “germinating”. It happens when a seed, notably a grain like barley, is exposed to water and a temperature of around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The seed, which is composed of an embryo (the germ) and a food supply (the endosperm) begins to grow. Which is to…

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06/04/08

Notes on the recipe

If you’re in the mood for bagel-making this week or weekend, there are a couple of things I should mention about the recipe to the right. First, you don’t strictly need malt powder, nondiastatic malt, or malt syrup to make great bagels. But then they don’t hurt either. Any of them are useful for bagel-making. Malt powder and nondiastatic malt add more flavor that sweetness. Malt syrup adds more sweetness than flavor. Of the three, the syrup is the easiest to get. It should be available at any health food store (Whole Foods, if there’s one in your area, usually…

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