# Baking with Malt Powder?



## Janet H (Apr 22, 2019)

I had some amazing pancakes at a friends house recently and she added some malt powder to the recipe.  Intriguing. 

has anyone had any experience with malt powder?


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## JustJoel (Apr 22, 2019)

Janet H said:


> I had some amazing pancakes at a friends house recently and she added some malt powder to the recipe.  Intriguing.
> 
> has anyone had any experience with malt powder?


Only in chocolate milk, what Dad used to call “a malted.” I’m not sure if you can even get them at diners anymore, and ice cream parlors are as extinct as the dinosaurs.

I did see some in Albertson’s the other day. Kinda expensive, if I remember correctly. I may get some, though, for chocolate shakes, and maybe to add to bread dough.


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## pepperhead212 (Apr 22, 2019)

Though I haven't bought it in years, I used to get Horlick's malted milk powder in large  jars in Chinese groceries - the best prices on it , at least back then, and Horlick's was my favorite brand.

Then there's diastatic malt, which is pure malt, and used a lot for bread baking, due to the enzymes in the powder.  There is no milk or wheat, which is in the malted milk powder.


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## Rascal (Apr 23, 2019)

We were fed maltexo a thick gooey treat to me every night. I don't know what was in it?? 

Russ


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## JustJoel (Apr 23, 2019)

Anyone remember Ovaltine? That was a chocolate malt drink, right? Do they even still make Ovaltine?


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## Silversage (Apr 23, 2019)

Janet H said:


> I had some amazing pancakes at a friends house recently and she added some malt powder to the recipe.  Intriguing.
> 
> has anyone had any experience with malt powder?



I bake with it sometimes - and usually add it to pancakes or cookies.  Not so much in cakes.  Recipes with maltose in them brown better, so you get nice color without overcooking them.  

It also adds a depth to the flavor that leaves people with an "I don't know what that is, but I like it" taste.  

Stella Parks (Bravetart from Serious Eats) uses it a lot.


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## Addie (Apr 23, 2019)

JustJoel said:


> Anyone remember Ovaltine? That was a chocolate malt drink, right? Do they even still make Ovaltine?



My kids grew up on Ovaltine. My oldest daughter even liked it sprinkled over her cereal. I never had any problem getting them to drink their milk. I think Ovaltine was instrumental in all of them having healthy strong bones. 

One side benefit of Ovaltine was "Less expensive!" than Nestle's Quik and a lot healthier.


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## Janet H (Apr 23, 2019)

Silversage said:


> I bake with it sometimes - and usually add it to pancakes or cookies.  Not so much in cakes.  Recipes with maltose in them brown better, so you get nice color without overcooking them.
> 
> It also adds a depth to the flavor that leaves people with an "I don't know what that is, but I like it" taste.
> 
> Stella Parks (Bravetart from Serious Eats) uses it a lot.



Cookies?  What sort of cookies do you add it to and how much do you add?


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## Andy M. (Apr 23, 2019)

JustJoel said:


> Anyone remember Ovaltine? That was a chocolate malt drink, right? Do they even still make Ovaltine?



I used to drink Ovaltine regularly as a kid. Haven't seen it in decades.


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## tenspeed (Apr 27, 2019)

Ovaltine contains other ingredients besides malt.

  KA sells diastatic malt powder for bread, and bills it as an ingredient to promote a strong rise in bread, especially with whole wheat flour.

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/diastatic-malt-powder-4-oz-jar

  I tried it with DO bread using KA bread flour.  I made two small loaves, side by side.  I couldn't tell any difference.  I might try the same with baguettes to see if there is any difference.


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## taxlady (Apr 27, 2019)

tenspeed said:


> Ovaltine contains other ingredients besides malt.
> 
> KA sells diastatic malt powder for bread, and bills it as an ingredient to promote a strong rise in bread, especially with whole wheat flour.
> 
> ...



Were you using whole wheat flour?


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## tenspeed (Apr 27, 2019)

taxlady said:


> Were you using whole wheat flour?


Nope, it was KA bread flour, as I mentioned.


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## taxlady (Apr 27, 2019)

tenspeed said:


> Nope, it was KA bread flour, as I mentioned.


I didn't have any idea whether or not KA sells whole wheat bread flour.


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## GotGarlic (Apr 27, 2019)

taxlady said:


> I didn't have any idea whether or not KA sells whole wheat bread flour.


They don't, but you can combine bread flour with whole-wheat flour to get the benefits of both. 

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/flours/index.html


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## taxlady (Apr 27, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> They don't, but you can combine bread flour with whole-wheat flour to get the benefits of both.
> 
> https://www.kingarthurflour.com/flours/index.html



Or I can buy local whole wheat bread flour.


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## GotGarlic (Apr 27, 2019)

taxlady said:


> Or I can buy local whole wheat bread flour.


Yup. Do you make bread? Or are you thinking about starting? I love homemade bread


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## taxlady (Apr 27, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> Yup. Do you make bread? Or are you thinking about starting? I love homemade bread



I have baked bread in the past. At one point, it was all the bread we ate. It's always on my radar. I keep thinking I will start baking bread again, so I do intend to.


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## pepperhead212 (Apr 27, 2019)

If you buy that white wheat flour, that should be a hard wheat flour,  which means it's a bread flour.  Red wheat, which most is, can be a mix of soft and hard wheat, but can be all hard, as well.   If it's WW pastry flour, it's soft wheat.

If you want to make all whole grain bread, you can add a little vital wheat gluten (I always wondered why they called it "vital"!) ; I often do this with rye breads, using WW, so I can use more rye.   But I never had to do it with WW, even using the Pillsbury, which is cheapest around here, and may not be all hard wheat,  but it seems to have plenty of gluten.


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