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I purchased some "super bagel flour" that lists these ingredients:

  • Bleached Wheat Flour Enriched
  • Malted Barley Flour
  • Potassium Bromate

Is "malted barley flour" in this "super bagel flour" in essence a substitute for the traditional malt syrup or malt powder in bagels? Or is this something else, and I should still treat this flour just like "bread flour" that is commonly called for in bagel recipes and continue adding malt syrup/powder?

package ingredients

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Malted syrup is a form of sugar (maltose). Malted barley flour is flour that has been partially germinated (sprouted) which increases your dough's ability to convert starch into sugar (maltose), making your bagel softer and more moist. Both will increase maltose levels in your bagels: one directly and one indirectly. I would probably try reducing some of the malted syrup in your recipe but would not eliminate it (unless you have a recipe specifically for this flour which does not include malted syrup). Also, the flour you are using is high-gluten flour which should also give your bagels the traditional chewiness.

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    Excellent. That's my goal. I tried the epicurious Peter Reinhart bagel recipe with regular AP flour and got flat, bready results. I've acquired some "bread flour" in addition to this "bagel flour", as well as some "vital wheat gluten". I'm going to try all options in upping the amount of gluten and see if I can achieve chewy heaven.
    – jimmy0x52
    Mar 31, 2020 at 16:49

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