Aunt Jean's Malt Bread Recipe | Dempster's Malt Bread Copycat Recipe (2024)

Aunt Jean's Malt Bread Recipe | Dempster's Malt Bread Copycat Recipe (1)

89 Comments / Kitchen / By farwellbear

My wife’s Aunt Jean has provided us with many great recipes over the years and her malt bread recipe has quickly become one of our favorites. Many of you are probably asking yourselves “what is malt bread”? That’s exactly our point! My wife’s family is from Ontario, Canada where malt bread is more commonly found. On visits back home a few loaves of Dempster’s malt bread were among some of the items that they would always bring home. That and a few boxes of Smarties candy! Both were always a real treat. A loaf of Aunt Jean’s malt bread is the closest thing we have to a loaf of Dempster’s malt bread from Canada and we love it. We think you will too.

What Is Malt Bread?

Although more common in some parts of Canada, here in the US malt bread is virtually impossible to find. This moist, dense bread’s origins are from the United Kingdom. It has a hint of sweetness and a slightly chewy texture. It’s frequently served toasted with butter on it. Our favorite way to eat it is toasted with a little peanut butter or honey.

Thanks to the craft beer revolution in the US, the malt extract required for this recipe is readily available everywhere. Any local homebrew shop should be able to help you out. If not, you can order some and have it delivered right to your door. If you want to go the delivery route, here is a link for liquid “dark malt extract” that is perfect for this malt bread recipe from Amazon (see affiliate product disclaimer at the end). I have used and had good luck with Amazon’s brewing products. The other reason I suggest them over my local brew shops are is I am sure they will have shipping options for readers outside of the US. Give this recipe a try. We think you and your family will love it!

Aunt Jean's Malt Bread Recipe | Dempster's Malt Bread Copycat Recipe (2)

One of the last steps in the preparation of the malt break is to brush the top of the loaves with a sugar/milk mixture 10 minutes before it finishes baking. As you can see from the above photo you do not want to skip this step. It gives the crust a slightly sweet taste and a nice rich, dark color. Give it a try, you’ll love it.

5 from 16 votes

Aunt Jean's Malt Bread Recipe | Dempster's Malt Bread Copycat Recipe (3)

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Malt Bread

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

  • 1Tbspsugar
  • 3Cupwarm water
  • 3Tbspdried yeast
  • 1/3Cupcup molasses
  • 2/3Cupdark liquid malt(NOT hop flavored)
  • 2TbspDark Cocoa Power
  • 1/3Cupoil
  • 1egg
  • 2Tspsalt
  • 7-10Cupsbread flour

Instructions

Ingredient Instructions

  1. Dissolve sugar in 1 cup warm water. Add yeast -stir-leave to soften for 10 minutes.

  2. In a large bowl, mix 2 C warm water and remaining ingredients (except flour). When yeast is ready, add to ingredients n bowl. Stir well.

  3. Beat in 4 C flour till well mixed. Gradually add 4 to 6 more C flour to get the right consistency. (not too sticky, pulling away from KitchenAid bowl).

  4. Place dough on thecounter and knead well-about 5 minutes, adding more flour slowly as necessary until dough is not sticky but not too stiff.

  5. Form into a ball – place in a greased bowl – large enough to allow for doubling in bulk. Cover lightly with a tea towel and let dough double in size (could take up to an 1 to 1-1/2 hours at room temperature).

  6. Punch down, shape into a ball – cut into 4 pieces, shape into loaves and put in greased bread pans. Cover and let rise double (about an hour) .

Baking Instructions

  1. Bake 350 degrees in preheated oven about 50 minutes till brown.

  2. Remove tins from oven 10 minutes before baking is complete. Brush tops with sugar & milk mixture (1/3 cup warm milk and 1 heaping teaspoon sugar) Return to oven for 10 minutes. This darkens the surface and gives it a nice glossy look.

Aunt Jean's Malt Bread Recipe | Dempster's Malt Bread Copycat Recipe (4)

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Aunt Jean's Malt Bread Recipe | Dempster's Malt Bread Copycat Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is malt bread made from? ›

Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin (B3), Thiamin (B1)), Water, Raisins (15%), Partially Inverted Sugar Syrup (Partially Inverted Sugar Syrup, Colour: E150c), Maize Starch, Malted Barley Flour (5%), Barley Malt Extract (4%), Vegetable Fats (Rapeseed, Palm), Rice Starch, Salt, ...

How much malt extract to use in bread making? ›

Organic Barley Malt Extract/Syrup

For wholewheat bread use 5g–9g per 100g flour, for white breads try using between 0.5g and 2g per 100g flour for added crust colour while preserving a pale crumb colour.

How much malted barley flour to add to bread? ›

You only need very small quantities of diastatic malt, about 5g or 1 tsp (or 1% of flour weight) per loaf of bread to get good results. Because there is also something like too much diastatic malt which can result in a reddish instead of a golden crust, weak dough and a rubbery crumb.

How to make malted wheat flour? ›

To make malted flour, the wheat is first soaked in water and then germinated. Once the wheat has germinated, it is dried and ground into a fine powder.

What is the flavor of malt bread? ›

Malt loaf is a type of sweet leavened bread made with malt extract as a primary ingredient. It has a chewy texture and often contains raisins. It is usually eaten sliced and spread with butter for tea. Malt flour is sometimes used to supplement the flavour.

How healthy is malt bread? ›

Rich in. 'b' vitamins

Malt is a rich source of B vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate and vitamin B-6. B vitamins are essential for converting the carbs, protein and fat contained in food into energy.

What does adding malt to bread dough do? ›

At a Glance, Diastatic Malt Powder:

Aids in the browning of crust, as well as the sweetness of yeasted bakes. Acts as a food for yeast, which can aid in oven spring, yielding a loftier loaf or roll; as well as a more tender, even crumb.

What does malt extract do in bread? ›

Diastatic malt contains active enzymes that can break down starches into sugars. This makes it useful for baking, as it can help dough rise faster and produce a sweeter flavor. Malt is either diastatic or non-diastatic. Diastatic malt contains enzymes and is often used in breads, bagels and other baked goods.

What is a substitute for malt extract in baking? ›

The first and most obvious option is blackstrap molasses. You will get a thicker, richer, and sweeter product, and you can swap them out in equal measurements. For ½ cup of barley malt syrup, you would use ½ cup of blackstrap molasses.

What is a substitute for malt powder in bread? ›

If you're out of both diastatic and non-diastatic malt powder, you can use malted milk powder as a substitute even though that was not its original purpose. It will promote browning, add flavor, and add more sweetness. It can also add hints of roasted, toasted, earthiness.

How do you add malt to bread? ›

To include diastatic malt powder in a recipe, mix it directly into the flour. If you're trying to decide how much diastatic malt powder to use in a yeast dough that does not include the ingredient already, Leo recommends starting with a range of about 0.25% to 1% of the total weight of the flour.

How much malt should I use? ›

Malt is the heart and soul of beer: you cannot brew without it. Indeed, malt is the main ingredient in beer: to produce 1 L of beer you need up to 200 g of malt, 2 g of hops, 1 cl of yeast, as well as water. The type of malt used affects the beer's characteristics.

How do you make your own malt? ›

Fill the jar with grains up to about 2 inches (5 cm) below the opening, to allow room for them to swell. Cover the grains with the water and secure a sprouting lid, or use a rubber band to secure a cloth, over the jar's opening. Let the grains soak in a warm area (60–70°F/15–21°C or higher) for 12 to 24 hours.

Can I malt my own wheat? ›

However, you can malt any grain or pseudo-grain with the same process: barley, rye, wheat, brown rice, millet, sorghum, quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth to name a few. Not all grains contain amylase but you can sprout all grains, you can even sprout non-grain items, such as beans.

Can you buy malt flour? ›

Buy Shipton Mill Diastatic Malt Flour at Ratton Pantry. Shipton Mill Diastatic Malt Flour, now available at Ratton Pantry, is a great product to compliment our larger selection of Shipton Mill's incredible artisan flours.

What is the American equivalent of malt loaf? ›

Malt loaf is also sometimes called “Harvo loaf” because of a well-known UK bakery called Harvo that offered the bread through the 1970s. Although commercially made malt loaf is available in certain areas of the US, quick breads and raisin bread are far more common.

Is malted bread better for you? ›

Granary / Malted Wheat Bread

Granary bread is a type of bread that contains malted wheat flakes and may or may not be made from wholegrain flour. Granary bread has a GI of 52 [5], making it a healthier option when compared to white bread.

Is malt loaf bread good for you? ›

The power of malt

Malt is a great source of natural energy and has been used as a trusted source of energy for years! Malt is also a rich source of B vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin b-6.

Is malt loaf unhealthy? ›

Its ok as long as you dont eat it too often. Actually the lunch box loaves contain 5.7grams of sugar and meet the government's nutritional standards for schools! Malt loaf is a type of bread and not cake. The dried fruit provides most of the sugar.

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