Mostly, people have a question in their mind about what they can use instead of barley malt syrup in their dishes, and various other questions like that.
So, in this quick guide, we discuss all the barley malt syrup substitutes and various ways of using them in your food recipes.
We’ll also discuss the uses of malt in the bakery and different types of malt flour. So without a fuss, let’s dive in and find out more about it.
Barley Malt Syrup Substitutes
Baking bread yourself is trendy. More and more people are discovering that delicious baked goods do not necessarily have to come from the bakery (which often only bake instead of real craftsmanship).
With a little skill and practice, you can bake them yourself. And, for a decent dough, you need at least flour, water, and yeast. But what about the baking malt? What is baking malt good for? Is there an alternative to baking malt, and what about the baking malt syrup substitute?
I have put together some suggestions and tips for you on how you can use baking malt as effectively as possible, and replace it sensibly with something else. However, first of all, lets discuss about various alternatives for barley malt syrup.
What Can You Use Instead of Barley Malt syrup?
So, if you don’t have barley malt syrup, then don’t worry, as we’re going to give you some barley malt syrup Substitutes that you can use to add great flavor to your food dishes.
Generally, honey, molasses, brown rice syrup, and maple syrup are common alternatives that you can use instead of barley malt syrup. However, numerous recipe-specific substitutions are also available for malt syrup.
Honey
You can use honey instead of barley malt syrup. So, you can replace malt syrup with honey in a ratio of 1:1. And, it means that you should add the same amount of honey to your recipes as you would otherwise add baking malt.
Thus, if you are using honey, then honey provides optimal nutrition for the yeast, but when it comes to the specific browning of the crust then honey is not going to do that for you.
Honey, as a substitution for barley syrup, adds a delicious twist to your food items. However, its strong sweet taste may not perfectly replace the flavor of malt syrup. But, it goes great in baking products like loaves, cupcakes, pancakes, and other sweet creations.
Molasses
Molasses is a by-product of the production of sugar. Usually, it is a delicious alternative to barley malt syrup. But, is molasses really a healthy sugar substitute?
Molasses is a real all-rounder. It is popular as a beverage powder in alcohol production as well as as a special flour in animal husbandry. Moreover, it is pretty common in the kitchen. These are particularly good for sweetening drinks and as a spread.
Molasses contains many valuable ingredients, including the minerals magnesium, potassium and iron as well as secondary plant substances and vitamins. Therefore, you can add extra nutrients to your diet if you use molasses in place of barley malt syrup.
Molasses replace malt syrup in numerous dishes like barbecues, muffins, pork, and chicken. Interestingly, you can use all types of molasses in your recipes in place of malt syrup, and they go well.
Brown Rice Syrup
Rice syrup is a byproduct of the brown rice fermentation. However, beware of gluten intolerant people who prefer rice syrup with malt barley syrup or even brown rice syrup (mixture of rice and barley).
The whole interest of rice syrup lies in the fact that it has interesting mineral elements, it is rich in potassium and magnesium.
Rice syrup contains almost 3% glucose. It will therefore not come under a strict sugar-free diet. But for people who are careful about their consumption of white sugar, it is an interesting alternative.
You can also replace it with barley malt as a substitution.
The rice syrup has the color and a little taste of caramel. It is therefore not neutral in taste and you will have to test if its flavor suits you in the recipes. And, you will also need to remove some liquid from your recipes if you replace sugar. However, you can cool it down to make it runnier.
Brown rice syrup is the best barley malt syrup substitute in sweet as well as savory food dishes and baking products.
Maple Syrup
We get maple syrup from maple tree sap by boiling it to reduce the water content and concentrate the sugars. Consequently, these sugars caramelize, resulting in maple syrup’s characteristic rich color and flavor.
Pure maple syrup is a better choice than pancake syrup, but it certainly isn’t a portion of healthy food. Instead, many people consider it as an extra sugar in their diet.
The traditional system of syrup grades may look like it’s evaluating quality, but it’s not. For instance, grade B syrup has a darker color and deeper flavor than grade A, but that doesn’t make it inferior. Many people prefer the more intense flavor of grade B.
- Light Amber Grade A is now Grade A Golden Color/Delicate Taste
- Medium Amber Grade A is now Grade A Amber Color/Rich Taste
- Dark Amber Grade A is now Grade A Dark Color/Robust Taste
- Grade B is now Grade A Very Dark Color/Strong Taste
You can use maple syrup of any grade according to your taste preferences. However, all types of maple syrup are great substitutes for barley malt syrup in muffins, brownies, cupcakes, pancakes, and bread loaves.
Beer As a Substitute for Baking Malt
An alternative to baking malt seems surprising and yet so obvious, It’s beer.
But if you should get your last beer out of the fridge now, then leave it. Malt beer is the right substitute for baking malt here. About a third of the liquid that goes into the batter should then consist of malt beer.
Malt Coffee Instead of Baking Malt
You can see the pattern: Malt coffee can also serve as an alternative to baking malt, but in contrast to beer, not in liquid form.
In this case, the powder of the malt coffee is the best choice. However, it is important to dose it carefully.
About 15 grams of baking malt are added to 500 grams of flour when baking bread, it should be left at around three to four grams with malt coffee.
Sugar Beet Syrup as A Barley Malt Substitute
An insider tip straight from the baker is sugar beet syrup. Here, too, the dosage is malt: sugar beet syrup 1: 1. The big advantage to the common honey alternative: Sugar beet syrup is absolutely vegan. However, it produces the most similar results like baking malt.
Besides all these alternatives, you can also use agave nectar, corn syrup, coconut syrup, and cider syrup instead of barley malt syrup.
Here, in this section, we will tell you about what is baking malt? How it is prepared and its different types in detail.
What Is Baking Malt?
You can buy fresh, fragrant bread with a crispy crust or crispy, light rolls at the bakery – or you can make them yourself. Many recipes call for baking malt as a major constituent.
But what is baking malt, and what is it suitable for?
Malt is grain such as barley, wheat or rye that is first germinated, then dried and finally ground.
It is essential for brewing beer and also beneficial when baking bread. Brewing malt is, however, a little bitterer than baking malt.
While beer is hardly conceivable without malt, but you can also bake bread without malt. However, that’s a matter of taste. If you want to get a really tasty, healthy, and nutritious bread out of the oven, then resorting to baking malt is not the worst idea.
But you should note: The term “baking malt” is not safe. It is a baking agent that helps in the processing of the dough.
That is why, it is always worth taking a closer look at what you are buying.
How Is Malt Syrup Made?
When malted grain is ground in water, malt syrup is produced. This breaks down the maltose and soluble enzymes, and the liquid concentrates and provides the syrup. If the process continues after the production of malt syrup, a dry, solidified object is obtained called the dried malt syrup.
Malt syrup has a mysterious taste associated with it. It is a common ingredient in the synthesis of candies, malted milk, and numerous other products.
What Are the Different Types of Malt Flour?
Diastatic malt flour is dried at a low temperature, which maintains the activity of the diastatic enzymes. At the same time, the other non-diastatic malt flour is darker in color. It is treated at high temperatures, which kills the enzymes and the result in non-diastatic malt.
Both diastatic and non-diastatic malts add sweetness, color, and taste to baking goods. Both are important because they contain malt sugar.
Diastatic malt is made with varying degrees of active enzymes. Usually, medium diastatic malt is healthy.
Final Words
Mostly, honey, molasses, brown rice syrup, and maple syrup are the best substitutes for barley malt syrup. However, you can also use agave nectar syrup, corn syrup, cider syrup, or coconut syrup instead of barley malt syrup. Moreover, beer, malt coffee, and sugar beet syrup are the best alternatives for baking malt syrup.