Malt extract is made from malted barley. The grains are soaked, allowed to sprout and then dried, which activates enzymes that turn the grain’s starch into sugars, mainly maltose. The malt is then mashed in hot water, and the sweet liquid is concentrated into a thick, dark syrup with a rich, toasty, slightly bready taste.
In biscuits and crackers, a little malt extract deepens the flavour, helps the surface brown evenly and can feed the yeast in fermented doughs. The Campus Choco Puff uses only 0.16%, a small amount that mainly supports the flavour and colour of the biscuit and its cocoa notes.
Malt extract comes from barley, a gluten-containing cereal, so it is relevant for coeliac disease and anyone avoiding gluten.
Snacks that list malt extract as a powder are listed here too.
