I've just bought some malted flour (farina maltata - it) from a bakery. On the bag, it says that i should add 1% malted flour to the total flour. Say I want to make a dough with 500 flour, i'll add 5 malted flour to it, no? This malted flour is a grayish one. And another question, when should I use it? It is a fermentation 'helper'? The dough will ferment better?Or faster?
Here is the pic.
Thank you all!
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And it also writes that this flower has 12000 or 120 000 (i don't remember) U.P/kg, what's that?
Good stuff, overall. Most manufactured bread flour has some in it naturally and small amounts are often added at milling to raise the malt level to a uniform standard. Many, many bakery formulas call for it. (Keep in mind that Fleischmann's, the yeast people, sold it for decades and promoted it heavily in their guides. Fleischmann's had huge influence in the US, encouraging the use of straight doughs, which use higher yeast levels, over sponges, which make better bread, and also the use of malt.
Malt serves as a dough conditioner (it buffers fermentation somewhat and buys the baker some wiggle room on time so that if a dough starts to get too old it can still be useable, sometimes.) It contributes to a rich, attractive crust color and tenderizes dough.
All the malt I see added at the shop level is "non-diastatic", so it does not contribute to the enzymatic action of fermentation and is itself largely unfermented sugar, which accounts for its contributions. Too much malt will make a loaf gummy.
("Diastase" is two emzymes, amylase and betylase, which work together to break down the maltose complex, IRRC, rendering it fermentable by yeast.)
Don't get too carried away with it and it shouldn't cause you any trouble.
Good luck,
Muff
Again, I do thank you.
I think it is diastatic, because the baker told me that he has liquid malt (used for beer) and dryied malt (this one). I did a small research on the internet, and i found that the diastatic malt is used for beer... so i do think that what i bought is diastatic... well, don't know.... but i've put 4 grams @ 420 g flour, and the dough seems like exploding (really!), i don't know how it'll be the finished product, but ... .i'll see.
Thank you again,
And that U.P/kg, what's that? :P
It's new to me and I didn't learn anything when I tried to google it, but it's something per kilogram; perhaps "U.P." means "uniform parts" ? I really don't know- if you find out please post your answer, ay?
Best,
Muff
Well, i found that U.P / kg is "pollack" or "pollock" unit. I googled it too, but nothing found.
Thank you any way muff... and yes, the dough exploded (as volume) but it is still smooth and shiny, no gluten breaks.
Finally I found! That U.P is the diastatic power ('Potere diastasico: xxxxxx min UP/Kg' - in italian, found on a website), so, i do presume that my malted flour is diastatic if it has a diastatic power indicator written there. And now, if contribute at enzymatic action of fermentation, how's that contribution? What it will happen (i've seen that my malted dough grows faster, without luten breaks)? And what it will happen if I'll feed my starter with flour and .. .say ... 1/4 teaspoon malted flour?
I'm a little bit scared on trying it, but i'll do it if you don't know! :P
(Again, excuse my English, I do my best on writing it correctly, so any corrections are welcomed!)
Thanks again!
Thanks for the information, Alex.
I don't know about adding a little malt to your starter. It sounds harmless enough and might do some good, but I would be a little careful of introducing unnecessary variables. But I adhere to the "KISS" principle: "Keep It Simple, Stupid", so I naturally would think that way. You might learn a lot by experimenting and leave me stuck in my old rut!
I don't have any problems with your English- it's at least as good as that of many native speakers. I did get a little confused when you wrote "what it will happen ... ", and I think you mean to say "what will happen ... ? " or "what will it do ... ?" . Still, I didn't have any trouble making the adjustment.
As for the contribution of diastase in bread making: it facilitates the digestion by the yeast of complex carbohydrates by breaking them down to digestible simple sugars- that's why your dough took off so well.
Best,
Muff
I have read recently that diastatic malt is useful for adding occasionally to sourdough starter, helping it to stay active. I have been adding a 1/2 teaspoon to my starter every couple of weeks and it certainly does no harm. Whether it does any good I cannot say, without experiment.
There's a good a good experiment there.
http://samartha.net/SD/images/BYDATE/02-08-14/index.html
and here ( http://samartha.net/SD/images/BYDATE/02-08-14/GrowRise.html ).
It shows that the malted doughs have bigger holes. The crumb is more aerated! Well, great news (at least for me).
Hi Alex, 1% malt could be a little high to start. I'd start with .25% and then increase by the same amount each time until you get what you're looking for. If the flour you are using is already diastatically sound/active, adding more enzymes will make a gummy dough, as already stated, with a really soft and unappealing crust. Also, the dough becomes very difficult to manipulate. Take it slow with diastaic malt flour it's very powerful stuff. You'll know when you get it right. Good luck, Tony.
Is it a good ideea to use diastatic flour when making breads only with '00' flour? As I know, the 00 flour is not so powerful, so if i'll add some diastatic flour it will it be more powerful?