A barley bake-off held for a second year is continuing the promotion of this non-traditional food grain as a healthy choice.
Working with the Alberta Barley Commission and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary, eight baking students created pastries, cakes, cookies and breads to show the versatility of the grain. Barley was recently granted status as a beneficial fibre for heart health by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
The wining student creation was a purple barley nut bread from first year baker Diane LeMoal. Mixed with walnuts and wheat flour, the brown loaf had a marbled look with a good crust and light texture. She received $250 from the barley commission.
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“The barley commission’s goal is to bring everyone together in one place and see what we can do with barley,” said Nikki Barnes of the commission.
The contest specified items with a pleasing appearance, good taste and aroma. Breads had to contain at least 20 percent barley flour and baked goods required a minimum of 50 percent barley.
The greatest challenge for students was learning to work with barley because it does not rise like wheat flour and it can be sticky, said baking instructor Teddi Smith.
“Barley doesn’t have much strength so it is easier for muffins, cookies or cakes compared to breads. Once you learn how to manage it, it is very easy,” she said.
“Barley has a lot of potential. It is slowly, slowly making its way into the marketplace.”
That is good news for farmer Jim Hugo, who supplied 40 pounds of barley flour to the students. He runs an on-farm mill at Three Hills, Alta., and sells flour to Calgary bakeries. He wants to see the word spread about the goodness of barley for heart health.
“If we could get consumers aware of it, they would realize it is delicious,” he said.
He grows 80 acres of hulless barley for his flour market and hopes more people will ask for it.
“It’s tough sell. Bakers are satisfied with their product lines,” he said.
For Clark Stuparyk, bakery director for Calgary Co-op stores, supporting this competition was another way to experiment with new whole grains.
The company already offers barley cookies and wants to expand its line of whole grain products to include oat bran, corn and flax.
“Some retailers are not taking risks with whole grains. Calgary Co-op was the first to go with it,” he said. He was particularly interested in the barley nut bread and says the co-op would consider retailing it for around $3 a loaf.
Consumers are looking for healthy alternatives, Stuparyk said.
White bread sales are dropping compared to multi-grain and organic loaves.
“We’re still selling cakes but they have to be special,” he said. “If you are buying a chocolate cake, it has to be real chocolate, not something like chocolate.”
