Diastatic malt powder

About

Diastatic malt powder is finely milled sprouted barley flour, retained at low enough temperatures during drying to keep its alpha- and beta-amylase enzymes active. Those enzymes break complex starches in the dough into simple sugars over the course of fermentation, which gives the yeast more food and the crust more browning at the bake. Use 0.5% baker's percent for NY-style and Detroit; more than that and the crust gets gummy and over-browned. Skip it for Neapolitan — the bake is too short for enzymes to matter, and many 00 flours come pre-malted.

History

Diastatic malt has been used in commercial bread baking since the early 20th century to compensate for the very low natural sugar content of bleached, mechanically milled white flour. King Arthur and Eden are the most common American retail sources.

Substitutes

• Sugar — no enzymatic activity, just sweetness