Not sure what to make of this. Yesterday searching forums for threads on "barley" I found several right off that said it behaved much like rye i.e. sticky, kneading did nothing for it, etc. I just made a "mini-loaf" of 100% hull-less barley, ground in my Blendtech blender. Nothing in it but flour, water, salt, ground caraway seed. Bumps on surface are from crushed millet sprinkled into oil coated pan for non-stick (works at least as well as corn meal).
I found it much more like Kamut than rye. Starts very sticky but after only brief hydrolysis gets reasonably extensible though a little less so than 100% Kamut, but more elastic, yes a little slimy but not any more sticky really. Experimental 1st try so not sure of hydration, started at 70% but kept adding little bits of water until felt right and so guessing around 80% in the end. Baked 45 minutes in pre-heated 450 F oven, no cover, no spray, no pan of water... Rise and oven spring are about what I have been getting w/ Kamut but I think the crumb with the barley is a bit more open.
The line visible in profie shot is reassembly because I cut it before taking pic. Small loaf like that, I usually eat whole thing as a meal and like to slice the long way so I can heat it quickly in toaster oven.
Flavor is wonderful! Barley... smooth and a bit sweet.
So that's the news from Tibet (Quite possibly where barley first cultivated) though in reality I am in Colorado, U.S.
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Should add I did stretch and fold easily. Actually picked up the entire mass in my hands and did it "airborne"; could not do that well at all w/ 100% rye flour
Hi, would you please kind enough to pls post your recipe please?