Barley Baking Contests

2008 Barley Baking Contest – highlights & recipes

Looks aren’t everything, but when it comes to competitive baking, they sure can help. Entries in the Alberta Barley Commission’s fourth annual Barley Baking Contest in 2008 were judged as much on their good looks as they were on their good taste.

Judges also rated entries in the March contest at the Southern Alberta Institute for Technology Polytechnic for volume, form, shape, size, symmetry, structure, color and texture.

After careful consideration – and of course lots of taste-testing -- judges John Gilchrist, Peter Weegman and Blake Corey announced their favourites. Sarah Morley of Rocky Mountain House won first prize for the pastry category her Barley Sponge Cake. Morley is a Baking & Pastry Arts student at Calgary’s SAIT Polytechnic who recently started her apprenticeship at the Rocky Co-op in Rocky Mountain House. Second place went to Marnie Fudge, also a SAIT student, for her Maple Barley Whisky Tart with Barley Maple Ice Cream.

In the bread category, judges gave first prize to Molly MacRae for her Apple Barley Cinnamon Buns. MacRae is another Baking & Pastry Arts student at Calgary’s SAIT Polytechnic. Fellow student Rebecca Hayward, who has been baking since she was eight years old and now works at the Lloydminster Co-op, captured second place for her Vegetable Barley Bread, which in addition to barley included potatoes, spinach, carrots and beet powder.

Barley may be an ancient grain, but it was used consistently in creative, modern ways that showcased its taste and potential.

“Every year contestants find new and creative ways to add barley to baked goods,” Audra Crump of the Commission says. “This year, contestants showed that Alberta-grown barley really can boost the flavour and texture of traditional recipes.”

The winning recipes are shared with commercial bakeries and media across the province to promote barley as a nutritional and versatile food.

Special thanks to Teddi Smith of SAIT Polytechnic for coordinating contestants and entries and to JRK Farms for providing the Alberta-grown, Alberta-milled barley used in every creation.

1st Place – Bread Category 2008 Barley Baking Contest
Apple Barley Cinnamon Buns
By Molly MacRae

Dough Ingredients
1 cup barley flour
1/4 cup bread flour
2/3 cup water
3/4 cup Guinness beer
1/4 cup barley flakes*
3 tsp yeast, fresh
1 tsp vital gluten*
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp butter, melted
1 tsp egg yolk
1 tsp salt

Filling Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 large granny smith apple, chopped

Icing Ingredients
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup cream cheese
2 Tbsp maple syrup

*available at most health food stores

Directions
Combine flours, water, and beer and let stand on counter for 4 hours or overnight. Soak the barley flakes in water for 30 minutes; drain well and add to flour mixture. Add yeast, vital gluten, sugar, butter, egg yolk, and salt to flour mixture; mix with a dough hook for 1-2 minutes on low speed, then 3-5 minutes on medium speed. Cover and let rest for half an hour.

Roll out dough to 1/8" thick, brush generously with melted butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and apple. Roll up dough into a tight log. Cut log into 2-inch pieces and place close together in a greased round baking pan, cut side up. Bake 18-20 minutes at 400°F.

While baking, make icing: cream together icing sugar and cream cheese with a mixer until smooth, beat in maple syrup until well blended. Remove buns from oven. Once slightly cooled, spread icing on top. Yield: 12 buns.

2nd Place – Bread Category 2008 Barley Baking Contest
Vegetable Barley Bread
By Rebecca Hayward

Dough Ingredients
2 cups bread flour
3-1/2 cups barley flour
5 Tbsp vital gluten
2 cups water
6 Tbsp yeast, fresh
4 Tbsp buttermilk
2 Tbsp canola oil
4 Tbsp sugar
2-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup pot barley, cooked
1/3 cup barley flakes
1/2 cup potatoes, cooked & mashed

Egg Wash Ingredients
1 egg
2 Tbsp water

Flavour Ingredients
4 green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup spinach, chopped
2 Tbsp feta cheese, chopped
1/4 cup carrots, cooked & mashed
1 tsp dill
4 Tbsp beet powder

Directions:
Soak barley flour in the water overnight. Roast barley flakes at 350°F for 10 minutes; let cool then chop finely. Mix all dough ingredients together until a smooth dough is formed; divide into 4 parts. Mix all flavor ingredients together and gently knead into each of the dough parts.

Cover and let dough rest for 30 minutes. Roll out each part of dough into a rectangle a 1/4 inch thick. Lay dough one on top of the other and then roll into a log shape. Cut the dough into 3 inch pieces; place cut side up on a greased baking sheet and flatten slightly with your hand. Let rise until double in size. Brush with egg wash mixture. Bake at 400°F until slightly brown (bread sounds hollow when tapped on bottom), approximately 20 minutes. Yield: 4 loaves.

1st Place - Pastry Category 2008 Barley Baking Contest
Barley Sponge Cake
By Sarah Morley

Ingredients
1/2 cup cold water
4 1/2 eggs
2 Tbsp milk powder
1-1/4 cups sugar
4 Tbsp emulsifier (k-68)*
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup barley flour
3 Tbsp bread flour
4 Tbsp melted butter
1 cup vanilla icing

*emulsifier (k-68) can be purchased at most local bakeries

Directions
Melt butter and set aside to cool. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by greasing with shortening and then placing a wax paper circle on the bottom of the pan. In a bowl, sift all dry ingredients together. In a second large bowl, mix water and eggs.

Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Using a hand mixer, mix on low speed for 1 minute, then in high speed for 6 minutes. Fold in cooled melted butter. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Flip cakes onto a baking sheet sprinkled with granulated sugar or onto cooling racks. Once cooled, split cakes in half. Spread vanilla icing on top and sides bottom halves. Add top halves and ice. Yield: 2 cakes.

2nd Place – Pastry Category 2008 Barley Baking Contest
Maple Barley Whisky Tart with Barley Maple Ice Cream
By Marnie Fudge

Tart Crust Ingredients
1-1/3 cups barley flour
3 Tbsp bread flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
9 Tbsp butter, unsalted and very cold
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp cold water

Directions
In a large bowl, sift together barley flour, bread flour, icing sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry mixture until mixture resembles small peas. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Mix cold water and eggs together in a bowl and add to the chilled mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated. Flatten the mixture and refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge and roll out to 1/8 of an inch thick and place in desired tart pan. Bake the shell in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and fill with the tart filling. Return to oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes at 375°F, or until the filling is just set.

Tart Filling Ingredients
2 eggs
1 Tbsp egg white
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp unsalted butter, soft
1 vanilla bean
3 Tbsp whipped cream
1/4 cup golden corn syrup
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp good quality malt whiskey or scotch

Directions
Whisk eggs, sugar, and butter together until combined. Split vanilla bean in half and scrape out seeds with back of a knife; discard pod. Add vanilla bean seeds all other ingredients and whisk well.

Maple Barley Ice Cream Ingredients
1/2 cup barley crunch (recipe below)
6 egg whites
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp water
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup whipping cream

Directions
Combine egg yolk, whipping cream, and maple syrup; cook on medium heat stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon; set aside and let cool. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until they form soft peaks; set aside. In a saucepan heat sugar and water until mixture reaches 240°F; remove from heat and slowly beat into the bowl of egg white mixture; whip the mixture until cold. Add syrup mixture and mix well. Place in an ice cream maker and churn according to machine directions. Add the barley crunch and serve or freeze.

Barley Crunch Ingredients
1 cup pot barley
4 cups water
2 cups canola oil

Directions
Boil barley in water until soft all the way through; drain. Spread cooked barley on a cookie sheet and let stand until surface of barley is dry to the touch. Heat oil in a pan or pot on low heat. Add barley and fry until golden brown; remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Cool and chop finely with a heavy knife.

2007 Barley Baking Contest – highlights & recipes
A hearty coffee-infused bread and a neighbour-inspired cookie earned top honours in the Alberta Barley Commission’s third annual Barley Baking Contest in February 2007. The annual competition features original baked goods made with Alberta-grown barley flour, supplied by contest sponsors JRK Farms and Hamilton’s Barley Flour.

This year, 20 students from commercial baking programs at SAIT Polytechnic and NAIT entered more than 30 original finished products, among them a barley ice cream presented in miniature draft beer mugs and captivatingly fragrant lavender honey loaf. Judges said only the merest of points separated the winning entries.

Marieke Nijenhuis of Rocky Mountain House, a first-year Baking & Pastry Arts student at Calgary’s SAIT Polytechnic, won the contest’s pastry category (and a prize of $300) for her Raspberry White Chocolate Cream Nests. “One of my neighbours back home used to make nests with whole wheat flour and apricot jam and I thought they would be good with barley and raspberry jam,” said Nijenhuis.

Blake Corey of Lethbridge’s Lakeview Bakery and a second-year apprentice baker at SAIT Polytechnic, won the $300-first prize in the bread category for his 60% Barley Coffee Bread. Corey soaked the barley flour in coffee to bring out the grain’s nutty flavour and create a moist, filling bread.

“This year we saw very imaginative entries,” said Nikki Barnes of the Alberta Barley Commission. “The students were really driven to show judges and consumers that a traditional, healthy grain can be used in creative -- and delicious -- ways.”

Contest judges ranked entries on a variety of criteria, among them volume, form, shape, size, symmetry, structure, color and texture.

Following the event, Nijenhuis appeared on CBC Radio’s province-wide Wild Rose Country program to talk about her winning entry its rich flavour and nutritional merits. Plus, the Calgary Herald printed the winning entries.

1st Prize, 2007 Alberta Barley Baking Contest Pastry Category
Raspberry White Chocolate Cream Nests
By Marieke Nijenhuis

Ingredients
For nests:
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/4 cups barley flour
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
pinch cardamon
¼ cup toasted and ground hazelnuts
½ cup shredded coconut
2 Tbsps powdered malt barley drink, such as Horlick’s (optional)
2 egg whites
½ cup toasted and ground hazelnuts
1 cup shredded coconut

Filling Ingredients
¼ cup cream cheese
1 Tbsp sugar
pinch salt
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp sour cream
3 Tbsps white chocolate, melted
½ cup raspberry jam

Directions
For nests: cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and vanilla, followed by cardamon, ¼ cup toasted ground hazelnuts, ½ cup shredded coconut and malt barley drink powder; combine well. Beat egg whites in a small bowl. Combine remaining ground hazelnuts and shredded coconut in another small bowl. Roll heaping Tbspfuls of dough into balls and dip in beaten egg whites and then in hazelnut/coconut mixture. Place on a greased cookie sheet and using thumb, press small indent in top of each ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 20 to 30 minutes.

For filling: Cream together cream cheese, sugar and salt. Add egg yolk, vanilla and sour cream. Once combined, slowly add melted white chocolate.

Remove nests from fridge. Pipe filling into nests. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until filling is set and no longer shiny. When cool, top with 1/2 tsp of raspberry jam. Yield: 2 dozen.

First Prize Bread Category, 2007 Alberta Barley Baking Contest
60% Barley Coffee Bread
By Blake Corey

Ingredients
1 cup water
2 Tbsps instant yeast
2-1/2 cups barley flour
1-1/4 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp powdered milk
2-1/2 tsps shortening
1-1/2 tsps salt
¾ cup starter (see below)
2 Tbsps Vital Gluten
5 tsps instant coffee

Directions
To make starter (or what bakers call poolish), combine 1 cup of bread flour with 1 cup of water and 1 Tbsp of yeast. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. The longer the starter sits, the sharper the flavour.

To make bread, dissolve coffee in water; add barley flour and let rest for 1 hour. Sift together yeast, bread flour, salt, powdered milk and Vital Gluten. Add remaining ingredients and mix until gluten develops; dough will be elastic-like. Cover and let rise until 1.5 times original size. Using additional bread flour, knead and then shape into loaves. Let rise until 1.5 times original size and bake at 400°F for 30 to 45 minutes. Yield: 2 loaves.

2006 Barley Baking Contest – highlights & recipes

In March 2006, SAIT Polytechnic and the Alberta Barley Commission once again teamed with local barley producers and baking industry specialists for the Second Annual Ultimate Barley Baking Contest. The two first-prize winners appeared CityTV’s Breakfast Television in April, and presented their winning creations and talked about baking with barley.

“It’s such an honour,” said Dianne LeMoal, winner of the contest’s bread category for her Purple Barley Nut Bread, of her TV appearance. The first-year Baking & Pastry Arts student at Calgary’s SAIT Polytechnic used barley, rye and bread flours to produce crisp, chewy loaves which, when cut, revealed purple swirls throughout.

Nicolas Ratzlaff, also a SAIT Polytechnic Baking & Pastry Arts student, won the judges’ approval in the second category − cakes & pastries − for his crisp, light Espresso Barley Biscotti. Dipped in chocolate, Ratzlaff’s biscotti quickly caught the eye, and the taste buds, of the show’s host.
For the contest, Baking and Pastry Arts students from both SAIT and NAIT had to create an original commercial-size recipe using barley flour from one of three sponsoring companies: JRK Farms, Hamilton’s Barley Flour or Schroeder Milling Inc. Judges ranked entries on a variety of criteria, among them volume, form, shape, size, symmetry, structure, color and crust. A cash prize of $250 was up for grabs in each of the two categories.
The goal of the contest was to develop innovative great tasting recipes using barley flour as well as to connect people across the value chain to help unlock the potential of barley.
1st prize, 2006 Barley Baking Contest Bread Category
Purple Barley Nut Bread
By Dianne LeMoal

Ingredients
1 cup rye flour
2 ¾ cups bread flour
1 cup barley flour
1 tbsp fresh yeast
½ tsp. salt
1/8 cup dry sour dough culture*
1 ¾ cups water
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
4 tsp. sunflower seeds

Directions
• Soak walnuts and sunflower seeds for at least 2 hours in room temperature water.
• For dough, mix together flours, yeast, salt, sour dough culture and water. Add drained walnuts and seeds, and knead well.
• Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Divide dough into four equal pieces and gently pat into loose rounds.
• Rest dough again for 15 minutes and shape into loaves.
• Allow dough to rise until double in size.
• Score tops of loaves to allow gases to escape and then bake in a preheated oven at 425°F for 35 to 45 minutes. For a crisper crust, place a pot of water in the oven and allow it to steam while oven heats; remove water just before cooking bread.
• Loaves are done when they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Cool the loaf before cutting and eating.
• Crusts have a slight purple colour.

Yield: 4 loaves

* Dry sour dough culture is available at specialty food and baking stores.

1st Prize, 2006 Barley Baking Contest Pastry Category
Espresso Barley Biscotti
By Nicolas Ratzlaff

Ingredients
1 ½ cups bread flour
1 ½ cups barley flour
½ cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 egg white
1 tbsp. KahluaTM or coffee liqueur
1 tsp. espresso
2 tsp. baking powder
¾ cup ground hazelnuts
½ cup melted chocolate (optional)

Directions
1. Cream butter, sugar and salt until smooth and creamy.
2. Gradually add eggs, then hot espresso and KahluaTM or coffee liqueur.
3. Add barley and bread flour and mix until incorporated.
4. Add hazelnuts and mix till a dough forms.
5. Roll dough into a long roll, flatten slightly and brush with whisked egg white.
6. Bake at 325°F for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Remove from oven; let cool slightly.
8. Slice diagonally ½ inch wide and place cut side down on a baking sheet.
9. Return to oven and bake at 275°F until toasted dry, about 25 to 30 minutes.
10. Drizzle tops with or dip one end in melted chocolate (optional).

Yield: 24 biscotti