Last Friday, The Great British Bake Off celebrated the start of its twelfth season on Netflix the only way bakers know how to do—with cake! Twelve home bakers participated in the first week of competition with mini rolls, malt loaves, and gravity-defying cakes. Wait...what’s a malt loaf? If you’re asking that question, you’re not alone. Nearly every contestant on GBBO asked the same question. Ahead, we’re explaining what this British tea-time treat is and which bakers rose—and which sank—during the first episode of Season 12.
12 Fruit Desserts to Make With Your Farmers Market Haul
From Our Shop
Emile Henry Ceramic Bread Loaf Baker $160 Shop Now
Opinel Curved Bread Knife $40 Shop Now
Bread Storage Bin More Colors Shop Now
What Is a Malt Loaf?
Think of a malt loaf as a richer, denser fruit cake. Prue Leith, a judge on The Great British Bake Off, makes her malt loaf with freshly brewed black tea, raisins, pitted prunes, malt extract, black treacle, and dark muscovado sugar (in addition to other pantry staples like flour, baking soda, baking powder, eggs, and butter). “This is a really old-fashioned recipe and those of you who are under 35 may never have heard of it. But don’t panic, just read the recipe,” said Leith to the contestants. A wise lesson to all home bakers who enter unfamiliar territory in the kitchen.
While it’s likely that you won’t encounter malt loaf state-side, across the pond, it’s been an essential part of tea time in the United Kingdom since John Montgomerie patented the recipe for “Malted Bread” in Scotland in 1889. The recipe has evolved from a loaf of bread to something closer to a fruit cake and is prepared with dried fruit and served with a pat of whipped butter on the side.
In the technical challenge during the competition, bakers were all given the same ingredients and a paired-down recipe to make their own. During this round of competition, home bakers were not given the chance to put their own twist on the tea-time classic, but rather had to follow the same recipe exactly in order for the judges to blindly determine who best executed it. “It should be rich and moist, like Old Hollywood,” said Noel Fielding, beloved GBBO co-presenter. In addition to the malt loaf, bakers were also tasked with whipping up homemade butter to serve alongside it.
What Could Go Wrong?
Although Leith said that the loaf is pretty simple, there are a number of things that could go wrong during the process. After all, this is a competition, so what fun would it be to watch if all went smoothly? The British-South African restaurateur and chef said that it’s easy to undermix the batter, leaving lumps of flour scattered throughout. Underbaking the loaf may cause it to sink, while overbaking causes the loaf to become tough, chewy, and dry. The sign of a good malt loaf is fruit that is evenly distributed throughout each slice, a firm texture as you slice it, and a dark brown color.
“It’s sticky and rich...nobody doesn’t like a malt loaf,” says Leith.
Inside the Tent
Among the contestants, there were plenty of over-35 bakers who had never heard of or tasted a malt loaf before, let alone tried their hand at baking one.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen malt extract before,” commented contestant Freya. Chigs had never baked with black treacle, a product that’s quite similar to molasses. Contestant Maggie hoped that by cutting the prunes to match the petite size of the raisins, they would be less likely to sink during the baking process. “This doesn’t look very promising, does it?” questioned Giuseppe as he mixed his batter.
“It’s dark, so how would you know if it’s over-baked?” asked a concerned Amanda.
Maggie thought it looked “scrumptious” and “really quite pretty” as she pulled her loaf out of the oven, but others were less convinced that theirs were fully cooked or totally presentable.
The Final Verdict
Leith and co-judge Paul Hollywood were impressed with how Freya’s malt loaf looked both on the outside and inside. The fruit was evenly distributed and Hollywood complimented the crystallization. “It’s got that characteristic chew,” said Hollywood. The judges liked the generous amount of candied peel on Maggie’s malt loaf and loved the flavor and color of her loaf. “That’s excellent. It’s got lots of fruit, a malty taste, and lots of tension,” says Leith upon tasting.
Other loaves lost points for being too small, tasting too-bread-like, or not having even distribution of fruit to bread. The biggest critique all-around was that many loaves were underbaked, resulting in a too-pale color and slightly doughy texture.
Ultimately Maggie came in first place with her “perfect malt loaf.”
Have you ever tried baking a malt loaf before? Let us know in the comments if you would win Prue Leith over!
FAQs
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 malt loaf a British thing? ›
While it's likely that you won't encounter malt loaf state-side, across the pond, it's been an essential part of tea time in the United Kingdom since John Montgomerie patented the recipe for “Malted Bread” in Scotland in 1889.
Who made the original malt loaf? ›
It was in 1938 that a gentleman named John Sorensen first developed the soft, sticky, moreish malt loaf made to a top secret recipe.
What is malt loaf in America? ›
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.
Why is malt loaf so good? ›
The grain is then mashed to extract the sugars. This produces a syrupy substance known as malt extract, which is what gives the cake its unique sticky texture and naturally sweet flavour. A small amount of dried fruit is also added to the malt loaf to give it extra natural sugars.
Is malt loaf bread healthy? ›
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.
What do Brits call meatloaf? ›
In British English, haslet or acelet is a pork meatloaf with herbs, originally from Lincolnshire. The word is derived from the Old French hastilles meaning entrails.
Is malt loaf a cake in the UK? ›
Malt loaf is a traditional British loaf cake, commonly served as a snack with tea. It is dark, dense, chewy, sticky and squidgy, filled with juicy, tea-soaked dried fruit and with a wonderful fragrant malty flavour.
Do you toast malt loaf? ›
Second of all, toasting it means the breakdown of sugar causes an already sticky loaf to turn into toffee, and you are left tonguing your teeth in an effort to prize caramelised bits of maltloaf from the back of your molars like some gluttonous Sisyphus. It won't budge! To sum up – sticky chew cold butter good.
Why is it called malt loaf? ›
It sounds like a malt loaf: dark and sticky, but black treacle is used not malt syrup. It seems to be called a 'malt' loaf because of the brown, malted flour used, which is not the same. Other malt loaves certainly contained malt syrup; beloved British brands Hovis and Allinson made them.
Actually, you don't really need to spread anything on malt loaf because it should be quite moist and sweet enough to eat on its own. Try half a (naked) slice with a cup of tea or in a lunchbox instead of a biscuit. Or spread on a generous amount of butter, as you would do with parkin, another northern speciality.
What Flavour is malt loaf? ›
Malt Loaf is a type of sweet 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. My malt loaf contains raisins and prunes which I found helped the texture to be nice and soft.
Can you eat malt loaf out of date? ›
Best before dates are only a guideline, not a rule. I ate a few bags of crisps that were a year over the other day, and they were absolutely fine. Malt loaf lasts forever, as well. It will be edible weeks after the BBF date, as long as there's no mould.
Why is malt loaf chewy? ›
Malt loaf gets its chewy texture and malty flavour from malt extract, of which it contains quite a bit. Malt extract is made from grains and is a product of the brewing process.
Is malt loaf heart healthy? ›
Bread-style bakes such as fruit bread, malt loaf, currant buns, crumpets, bagels and English muffins are usually healthier than cakes and biscuits. Don't fancy them plain? Steer clear of butter and stick to a thin layer of low-fat, unsaturated spread, or try one of our 5 healthy toast toppings.
What can I replace malt with in baking? ›
What can I use as a replacement for malt powder in baking? If you don't have malt powder, you can use honey, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup as a replacement in baking recipes. These alternatives will add a similar sweetness and moisture to your baked goods.
What is a substitute for malt extract in malt loaf? ›
Another option is using maple syrup as a malt extract substitute. Maple syrup adds a rich, caramel-like flavor to breads and can be used in a 1:1 ratio. However, be aware that maple syrup has a distinct taste, so it may alter the overall flavor of your bread.
Is malt the same as rye? ›
Put simply, grain whisky is made from any grains, most commonly wheat and corn (yes, corn is sometimes considered a grain rather than a vegetable). Rye is also a common grain whisky, especially in countries like Japan. Malt whisky, on the other hand, is made exclusively from malted barley.
What is loaf in American English? ›
loaf in American English
to spend time idly; loiter or lounge about; idle, dawdle, etc.
