The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends
Barley Bread Recipe
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- 3 cups barley flour
- 1-1/2 cups reconstituted nonfat milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Oil for frying, optional
In a large bowl combine the barley flour, milk and salt. Mix until you have a stiff dough. Knead the dough briefly, or for about a minute. If the dough is sticky you may need to add more flour. If the dough is dry you may need to add a few drops of water or more milk. Work the dough until it is smooth and plump. Now you have to scoop up small portions of the dough, shape them and cook them. Use 1/4-cup of dough for each cake. Now you have 2 options for shaping the dough. You can make small, thick cakes or tortilla-like flat bread. Both types taste good and you may want to try both shapes to see which kind you like best. Both shapes are historically correct.
Cakes: Shape a 1/4-cup of dough into a small patty, like a thin sausage or hamburger patty. It needn’t be large, but it should be round. Try to flatten the patty so it is thinner than 1/2-inch thick but thicker than 1/4-inch thick. Use a ruler if necessary to measure your patties so you get an idea of the correct thickness. Once you see what you’re aiming for it will be easy to duplicate.
Flat Bread: Roll 1/4-cup of dough into a ball. Flatten it on a smooth surface or on waxed paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough thin, like for tortillas. You won’t be able to get it quite as thin as wheat tortillas, but you should be able to come close. Wrap the flat bread over the rolling pin to transport it to the skillet when you cook it.
When cooking the barley bread you have 2 options. Both shapes can be cooked by either method so you can mix and match to find the combination you like best.
Dry Frying: Heat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat. When it is hot lay your cakes or a flat bread onto the pan. Allow the bread to cook until the underside is dry with a few brown spots. Flip and continue cooking until the underside of is dry and lightly browned. Remove the cakes to a plate to keep warm and continue until all of the bread is done.
Pan Frying: Heat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl it around to coat the pan. Lay your cakes or a flat bread on the oiled skillet. Fry the bread until it is crispy with a few brown spots underneath. Flip and cook the second side the same way. Add more oil to the pan as necessary so the bread has a chance to sizzle nicely. Flat bread cooked this way will form air pockets while it fries which traditionally is believed to make it more tender. Personally, they seem the same to me whether the air pockets form or not.
The fastest way to cook barley bread is to make cakes and to dry fry them. So if you are rushed for time, this is the method to use. When you have extra time, pan frying the flat bread is very good, and well worth the effort. After you have tried both variations, you’ll be surprised that they both are made from the same recipe because the finished products are so different. This bread is a nice accompaniment to bean or lentil dishes and is also good with stews.
Note: Barley Flour is found in many large supermarkets and most natural foods stores. If you are unable to find it then you can make it at home. You’ll need instant barley, the type that cooks in 10 minutes, and a blender. Place about 1/2 cup of instant barley into the blender and process until it is finely powdered. Dump the flour into a bowl and continue until you’ve made as much flour as you intend to prepare. I will usually do an entire box of instant barley at a time so that I have it already prepared on the shelf. I figure I have to wash the blender anyway so I might as well make as much as I can.
Pearl & Hull barley cannot be turned into flour with a blender. They must be ground in a grain mill instead. Since instant barley is already somewhat processed, it turns into flour very easily.
Makes 8 servings.
When Dry Fried:
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 208 Calories; 1g Fat (4.1% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 159mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 0 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat.
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