Recipe: Guinness and Malt Wheat Bread

Hi Marti,

I hadn't heard of malt extract being used in homemade breads before. It's possible that the malt extract, being a brewers' product, helps leaven the bread, but it could also be it's included for flavoring.

Out of curiosity, I did an online search and turned up the following recipe for Guinness and Malt Wheat [quick] Bread. It says "If you can't find Malt Extract just substitute 1 tsp. of Vanilla Extract"!

Hope this helps!

Susan, Hawaii

Guinness and Malt Wheat Bread
Makes 1 (8-inch) square loaf

1 cup Coarse Wholemeal (whole wheat) Flour
1 cup Fine Wholemeal (whole wheat) Flour
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup Butter
1 tsp. Malt Extract
1 1/4 cups Buttermilk
1 1/4 cups Guinness

Place wholemeal flours, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Blend in butter, lifting well to give the mixture air. Stir in malt, buttermilk and Guinness. Mix until the bread is a porridge-like consistency. Do no over mix.

Turn into a well-greased 8 x 8 square baking pan that has been sprinkled with wholemeal flour. Sprinkle additional flour on top.

Bake for 30 minutes in a pre-heated 375-F degree oven. Bread is done when it springs back after gently pressing the top. Turn off the oven and allow the bread to cool slowly with the door open for 30-minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack. Can be served immediately.

Guinness from a bottle will produce a "flatter" loaf. Guinness from a tin will produce a "fluffier" loaf because of the Nitrogen capsule that is enclosed in the can raises your bread. Pour your Guinness about 1-minute before you need it in the batter to get an accurate measurement and let the foam rise as the dark ale settles. Over-mixing will result in a pancake-like loaf, so make sure you keep some air in the mixing! If you can't find Malt Extract just substitute 1 tsp. of Vanilla Extract.