Diastatic Malt

[BakerAunt]

I have been talking with Cass about a European roll that I'm planning to bake, and the recipe called for diastatic malt. I planned to order it from KABC, but they are currently out of it. Cass suggested that I investigate diastatic malt, and I found a few internet discussion of making your own, which involve sprouting barley, drying it at just the right time, then grinding it up. In other words, diastatic malt is barley malt.

I looked at KABC and discovered that what they sell as diastatic malt is actually a combination of three ingredients: https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/shop-img/labels/1577476308703.pdf

The first of these is AP flour, followed by barley malt (twice--an error?), and cane sugar.

I looked at Baker's Authority, and of course they only sell 50 pound bags of barley malt. I then looked at New York Bakers and found AB Mauri Low-Diastatic Malt. It lists only a single ingredient: barley malt. I bought it, and the package arrive today.

I also learned in my investigation that barley malt is added to KABC's AP flour and to Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread flour. I have not checked out other brands.

I'm not sure how to store diastatic malt once I open the package. Should it be refrigerated? Put in the freezer?

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[RiversideLen]

"The first of these is AP flour, followed by barley malt (twice–an error?), and cane sugar."

No, I don't think it's an error. First off, it contains flour that consists of flour and barley malt. Then, they put in more barley malt. The flour by itself doesn't contain enough barley malt so they give it an added shot(s).

How to store, if it were me it would depend how fast I think I would use it. If it's gonna be around for a while I don't see how freezing it would hurt.

[Mike Nolan]

I keep mine in the freezer. I had some non-diastatic barley malt that got buried in the pantry and turned into a brick. I broke it up some in the food processor, but I think it isn't quite the same as before, so one of these days I'll order a new bag of it. I will probably be making a KAF order some time in the next few months, I just opened my last bag of pastry flour. (Finding a 'white' pastry flour locally is impossible.)

Many flours have a little DBM in them. I've been told that's because most American wheat strains are low in diastase.

From what I've read, it appears rye flour tends to be quite high in alpha amylase (one of the types of diastase), which is why rye doughs can go gummy quickly, because the alpha amylase starts breaking down the starch.

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