Malt Bread

Post-Soviet people are characterized by a more reverent and tender attitude to bread than other peoples. Bakery products have remained popular for centuries and are even now on the list of the most purchased products. Not a single meal, regardless of the season or the amount of food, is complete without bread. The product has acquired the status of a sacred hero of beliefs, traditions and fairy tales, and each of us has heard the proverb “bread is the head of everything” at least once.

Bread is considered one of the oldest foods in the world. Its history began 12 thousand years ago. Then the product was a simple mixture of flour and water.

But how to choose high-quality bread and what useful properties does the product have?

What is malt

These are soaked and germinated cereal seeds. Most often, barley seeds are used, less often – wheat, corn, rye or triticale (a hybrid of rye and wheat). When the grains are germinated, the fermentation process starts, which is artificially slowed down at the final stages of production. The seeds are dried, doused with hot air vapor, and then added to the dough.

Multifunctional malt is used not only for making bread, but also for alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks like kvass, beer, kulagi, whiskey, makhsymy.

How is malt obtained

The process of obtaining the ingredient consists of two stages: soaking and germination. Soaking is a preparatory stage. Only from swollen and pre-prepared grain can cereal germinate. During germination, special chemical changes in the composition of the grain are triggered.

For high-quality growth and development, grains need constant access to oxygen. As soon as the germination process starts inside the seeds, oxygen consumption increases several times. An increase in oxygen consumption leads to a decrease in the concentration of dry matter: starch (found in grain) is converted into a solution of glucose, sucrose, maltose and other soluble carbohydrates. The dissolution process also affects the cell walls. Carbohydrates and fatty oils gradually begin to oxidize, and proteins turn into large protein enzymes.

After all the transformations, the development of leaflets begins and, after some time, an adult plant.

Until the XNUMXth century, sprouted malt was used for food, in which the leaves had not yet sprouted. After this milestone, it was found that well-sprouted long malt retained a higher concentration of beneficial nutrients.

Malt germinates only under two basic conditions: an abundance of oxygen and minimal exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Features of using the component

Primarily malt was used to produce beer, wine and other alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. For example, in beer, malt is used in its pure form, and in wine it is necessary to dissolve and saccharify the starch from other ingredients of the drink. In all cases, the product operates according to a single principle: it loses its own starch or obtained from other foods, then the liquid is fermented.

Malt extract is made from the component – thickened or evaporated wort (sweet nectar). The drink is prepared on the basis of crushed grains of corn, rye, barley, wheat and all possible cereals. Most often, the wort is evaporated at a temperature of 45 to 60°C. For preparation, a gentle vacuum-assisted manufacturing method is used. After a series of simple manipulations, the drink is brought to the consistency of a thick syrup, then clarified and rid of unpleasant astringent compounds (separate or use a centrifuge). The must is used in the gastronomic industry. Pasta, bakery, confectionery, kvass, beer and even medications are prepared from nectar.

Malt is also used in the food industry. It is added to all bakery products, regardless of the flavor range and type of flour: buns, pita bread, baguettes, various types of bread, sweet flour dishes. The component increases the total calorie content of the finished product, enriches it with an abundance of vitamins, micro and macro elements.

Useful properties of the ingredient

The benefits of bread are determined not only by the presence of malt, but also by other ingredients, especially flour. On store shelves, you most often come across a successful combination of grains and a mixture of rye / wheat flour. Such a product is considered the most useful, optimal in taste and cost. Almost all sprouted grains can be added to the composition, but wheat and rye are especially popular.

Sprouting grains has become a new trend in healthy eating, so malt bread is at the peak of popularity and sales.

Benefits of sprouted grains

In the process of germination and soaking, a whole complex of vitamins A, E, PP and group B is formed. Moreover, the composition is enriched with such nutrients: potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, iron and selenium.

To germinate grains at home, simply soak 2 tablespoons of wheat in warm water and leave overnight. In the morning, drain the muddy water, rinse the grains thoroughly, cover them with gauze and leave at room temperature for 1-2 days. By the next morning, the grains will surely give sprouts and will be ready for further use.

The main benefits of sprouted grains are:

• fiber enrichment;
• improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• removal of toxins from the body, which contributes to overall healing and rejuvenation;
• stool normalization;
• enrichment with vitamins and nutrients;
• long-term suppression of hunger.

Benefits of soaking

Soaking increases the nutritional properties of the grain several times. Phytic acid and fermentation inhibitors are deactivated, which allows the body to absorb large amounts of folic acid, zinc, calcium, iron, and protein much more easily and efficiently. With prolonged soaking (from 7 days), the concentration of ascorbic acid, tocopherol, cobalamin, beta-carotene and antioxidants increases in the sprouts.

Soaked grains are much easier to digest in the gastrointestinal tract and reduce the risk of inflammation. Eating malt bread will help minimize intestinal upset and food allergies. How does this happen? Grains “turn off” defense mechanisms to slow down fermentation, break down lectins/starches, and other antinutrients.

Another important aspect is the prevention of insulin spikes. After soaking in the grain, the level of natural sugar is reduced. That is why soaking absolutely all cereals is a mandatory procedure for patients with diabetes.

Representatives of alternative medicine believe that soaking fills the grain with vital energy and beneficial vibrations. Prolonged contact with water acts as a kind of signal that informs the seed about the need to wake up and develop into a full-fledged plant. Such “live” products are considered the most useful and even healing.

Chemical composition of malt bread based on rye flour

What is gluten and is it in malt bread

Gluten is gluten, a special protein found in cereal grains (rye, wheat and barley). The issue of gluten is still open and divides nutritionists into two camps. Some consider gluten to be absolutely harmless (with the exception of people with individual intolerance), others consider it one of the most dangerous elements of our time. It is impossible to remove gluten from grains, so the component is present in all baked goods made from wheat, barley and rye.

Who is gluten contraindicated for?

There is a rare autoimmune disease called celiac disease (a serious digestive disorder caused by gluten). It is not transmitted at the genetic level and is congenital. It is impossible to completely get rid of celiac disease, the only option is to adjust the diet and switch to a gluten-free menu. The disease develops with a probability of 1:500-1:100, which is quite common. How to define pathology? If your doctor still hasn’t told you about celiac disease, then there is nothing to worry about. To check the body for the presence of a disease, take a blood test for certain antibodies and take a biopsy.

Gluten is also dangerous for people with individual intolerance. A gluten allergy is no different than an allergy to pears, cinnamon, or beef. To determine the presence of allergic reactions, it is enough to take a blood test.

More recently, the term non-cleanic gluten sensitivity has been introduced into medicine. This is an acquired or secondary sensitivity to gluten due to the high concentration of gluten in the diet. The symptoms can be quite different – from a runny nose to the need for hospitalization. If after the next bun your stomach or head hurts very badly, consult a doctor and be examined for gluten tolerance.

How gluten affects other groups of people

If you don’t have celiac disease, sensitivity, or an allergy to gluten, you can safely exhale. The harmful and, conversely, beneficial effects of the element on the human body have not yet been studied. Nutritionists were able to come to one single common opinion – with a rational healthy diet, it is impossible to overdo it with gluten.

For your own safety, check the ingredients of your food. Modern producers can even add gluten to cheese or sausage, so be careful. Consume gluten exclusively from rye, wheat, and barley, which have not been heavily industrialized and retain their beneficial composition. But do not write off gluten from the accounts and if you experience suspicious symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.

How to choose the right bread

The benefits of a bakery product directly depend on its composition and processing method. High-quality bread saturates the body with so-called complex carbohydrates, which contribute to metabolic/energy processes and support human life.

supplements

Malt bread can be in absentia called a healthy food product, because it contains malt seeds. What are they good for:

• increase the total calorie content of the dish;
• saturate the body with vitamins and nutrients;
• positively affect the taste;
• help to quickly and better assimilate other products.

It is ideal if the composition contains not only sprouted grains, but also seeds, dried fruits or nuts. The only drawback of such bread is the minimum shelf life. After the expiration date, the bread becomes harder than granite, which can neither be chewed nor removed from the package.

flour quality

The name of the flour can play a cruel joke on the consumer. Let’s simulate the situation: in front of you are two loaves of bread. On one of them the inscription “flour of the highest grade” is applied, on the second – “flour of the second grade”. The choice of a gullible consumer will instinctively fall on the first loaf of bread. “Premium Grade” seems to us to be a guarantee of quality, safety and health, but therein lies the trick. Premium flour is an empty product that is devoid of nutrient composition and belongs to the category of harmful “fast carbohydrates”. Flour of the second grade is processed to a lesser extent. The grain is cleaned only superficially, leaving the shell – an element in which vitamins and minerals are stored. Whole grain flour that has been coarsely ground is classified as “heavy carbohydrate”. Bread from it will go not to extra centimeters at the waist, but to a high degree of activity during the day.

Forever give up ordinary white bread in favor of malt, rye, bread with bran and germinated cereals.

It is also necessary to take into account the peculiarity and concentration of flour. For example, rye flour is much more efficiently absorbed by the human body, provides long-term saturation, contains a larger set of nutrients and fiber than wheat flour. It is best to use “black” bread, in which the proportion of rye and wheat flour is 1:3 in favor of rye.

All about yeast

Almost all bread that is placed on store shelves contains yeast. Disputes about the quality or potential danger of the component have not subsided for several decades. But nutritionists have come to a consensus – the amount of yeast in the diet should be limited.

The sensitivity of the ingredient to high temperatures is not known for certain. It used to be thought that yeast died in the process of baking bread, but today the thesis is being questioned. The component penetrates the body, disrupts the intestinal microflora and creates favorable conditions for the development of bacteria. Moreover, yeast depletes calcium stores.

Even if the component still dies during heat treatment, the process of its production also raises suspicions. In yeast, harmful chemical compounds and heavy metals are concentrated, which penetrate the body and remain there.

Buy yeast-free products whenever possible, or learn how to bake your own bread with proven ingredients. It is also necessary to abandon products with flavor enhancers, preservatives, eggs and milk (due to the abundance of hormones / antibiotics) and other achievements of the gastronomic industry.