Before coming to Shetland, I don’t think I’d ever had malt loaf. In fact, I think my only experience with malt was probably restricted to “Whoppers”, the American version of Maltesers, which my big sister liked when we were kids, but I always found a bit weird.
Now that my palette has come to its senses embracing the Malteser with great appreciation and malted milk drinks with even fonder affection, the squidgy, raisin filled malt loaf has become a firm favourite, and when I heard that it’s considered a healthy snack my intrigue was especially piqued.
People the world over have been malting grain for centuries, with the use of malt extract as a cooking ingredient going hand in hand with this ancient process. During the first half of the twentieth century the use of malt extract as a dietary supplement for children, often along with cod liver oil, was common practice. This use was especially valuable in the wake of the Second World War and its harsh rationing when malt extract provided a cheap source of nutrition to build up undernourished children.
The process of malting involves allowing the grain to germinate by soaking it in water for a time, and then halting the germination by drying the grain with hot air. This process activates the grain’s enzymes to turn its complex carbohydrates into sugars, making malt extract a soluble fiber. The presence of vitamin A, riboflavin, trace minerals, proteins and amino acids, along with its antioxidative qualities, make barley malt extract an excellent and nutritious alternative sweetener. Plus it’s delicious!
For my malt loaf I adapted a recipe from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible. Her recipe called for plain flour, the addition of demerara sugar, black treacle, and sultanas. I decided to simplify the original version using only malt extract without the other sweeteners, whole wheat flour instead of plain to make it a whole grain loaf, and replacing the sultanas with raisins just because it’s what I had. The results were a lovely malty flavoured loaf with a slightly crispy crust, and filled with juicy raisins.
This whole wheat malt loaf is a wonderful recipe to try. It’s really easy, is lovely with a cup of tea or for breakfast, and if you have left over barley malt extract you could stir a bit through some warm milk for natural malted milk!
- 300g whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 150mL cooled black tea (or water if you prefer)
- 200g barley malt extract
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 225g raisins
- A little oil for greasing
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
- In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and baking soda until well combined. Stir in the raisins.
- In a small jug mix together the tea and malt extract until the malt is dissolved into the tea.
- Pour the tea and malt mix into the flour and then the beaten eggs. Beat well.
- Tip the batter into the prepared tin and even out the top. Place the tin in the oven and leave it to bake for about an hour until the loaf is risen and feels firm when you poke it.
- Leave it to cool for ten minutes in the tin on a wire rack and then turn it out onto the rack, remove the baking parchment and leave it to cool.