FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions You Asked Us Q  What is the difference between pot and pearl barley? Barley kernels are polished, or pearled, to remove the inedible hull part of the grain. Pearl barley is polished more than the pot barley, hence its smaller size. Which kind you prefer is a matter of taste. The pearl barley cooks a bit faster than the pot barley (which takes about 40 minutes) and is more often used in foods where a smaller cooked kernel size is preferred, such as in salads and puddings.   Q How is barley flour different from wheat flour? Most people have experience baking with wheat flour, either in whole grain form or the further processed, all purpose form. The barley flour on the market in Alberta is a whole grain flour, which makes it more similar to whole wheat flour than to all purpose flour. Barley flour, however, does not have the same heavy texture that you usually associate with a whole grain flour. It is easily substituted for all purpose flour in most recipes. The advantage of using barley flour is that it is a good source of both the soluble and insoluble kinds of fibre. Wheat is very low in soluble fibre, so baking with barley flour is one way to increase soluble fibre in your foods.   Q If I have an allergy to wheat, can I use barley instead? It really depends on the individual. Barley is low in gluten, but is not gluten-free, so people with celiac disease cannot use it in place of wheat. Other people who have some sensitivity to wheat have told us that they can use barley in place of wheat.   Q Can I make bread with barley? Yes. Because barley has different gluten, however, it would make a very heavy bread if you did not also add wheat flour to the recipe. Yeast-raised products like bread need strong gluten in order to rise and create the nice texture we like. Up to 25% of the flour can be barley flour with good results. You may wish to add ‘vital wheat gluten’ for a higher volume bread. This product is sold by the box in the baking ingredient section at your supermarket. Return to top...