Take a peek inside our new magazine, Companion, with a dive into the wonderful world of barley, and discover how to bake with it via our delicious cookie recipe.
Barley, one of the world’s oldest staple crops, has nourished humanity for over 20,000 years. Pliny the Elder praised barley for its gut-healing properties and Roman gladiators believed it gave them superior strength – naming themselves ‘Hordearii’, or ‘barley men’. In the Bible, it is barley bread – not wheat – that Jesus uses to feed the 5,000.
Yet barley has largely fallen out of favour in the modern baking landscape. It’s used to make beer, whisky and malt, and fed to livestock animals, but its existence in baking is all but forgotten.
However – along with a growing renaissance of grain enthusiasts and bakers – GAIL’s Master Baker, Anomarel Ogen, is on a mission to bring barley back into the spotlight as part of our broader goal to bake for sustainability, soil health and nutritional density.
Barley’s high fibre content makes it particularly good for the gut microbiome, and it contains high levels of β-glucans (on average 10 times higher than in wheat), which improve immunity and provide protection against hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Because barley requires fewer nutrients from the soil than wheat, it makes an excellent companion crop in an arable farming system. It also grows quickly to out-compete weeds and its deep roots prevent soil erosion whilst providing drought resistance in both wet and arid climates. A win-win for people and the planet.
Despite its high fibre and low gluten content, barley flour struggles to make the white fluffy loaves or crusty boules popular today. In a bid to use this wonderful grain more, we are looking at more ways to incorporate it into our baking. One way is by combining it with other grains. Ogen is experimenting with adding barley flour to both rye bread and a traditional white loaf. Barley can also be used to bring complexity of flavour, nutrient density and a chewy mouthfeel to batter-based cookies and cakes that don’t require much gluten to hold their shape.
These plant-based hazelnut and chocolate cookies are our most delicious barley creation yet. The nutty flavour of the barley flour is a perfect match for toasted nuts, brown sugar and coconut; they’re surprisingly rich and indulgent without being overly sweet.
Barley, Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies
Makes 12
Ingredients
280g soft light-brown sugar
85g coconut milk
165g coconut oil, softened
10g ground flaxseed
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp vanilla extract
1⁄2tsp salt
140g barley flour
145g plain flour
175g chopped dark chocolate (70–75% is ideal)
70g chopped roasted hazelnuts
A sprinkling of flaky sea salt
Method
- Beat the sugar, coconut milk and coconut oil with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add the flax seed, bicarbonate of soda, vanilla and salt and continue beating until everything is incorporated.
- Gradually, add both flours until a dough is formed, being careful not to overmix.
- Sprinkle in the chopped dark chocolate and hazelnuts and mix briefly to combine.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 4 hours (ideally, leave overnight). This step is important to firm up the dough so make sure you don’t skip it.
- Once chilled, portion the dough into golf ball-sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle each ball with flaky sea salt and bake at 160°C for 12–15 minutes until golden brown but still soft.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Note: The dough can last up to a week in the fridge, meaning you can take a chunk and bake whenever you’re craving a cookie.
Hungry for more? Pick up a copy of Companion here.
