The Ingredient Swap That Will Make Your Homemade Focaccia Bread A Loaf To Write About

Few things in life are as satisfying as a bite of warm focaccia. Soft, fluffy, with a chewy crust, brimming with olive oil, and often topped with a sprig of rosemary and flaky salt — a hallmark of Italian culinary excellence that's the perfect sandwich bread or even pizza base. One ingredient that bakers occasionally like to use to add a touch of sweetness to their homemade focaccia is honey. But if you really want to experiment with taste and flavor, why not try swapping it out for liquid malt? This can change the fermentation, crust color, and overall flavor profile.

To find out why swapping in liquid malt works so well, Food Republic asked Vivian Villa, owner and chef of Villa's Kitchen. "Liquid malt is preferred over honey for a variety of reasons[:] it provides sugars as well as nutrients that yeast needs to grow, while honey only provides the sugar," she told us. These nutrients are crucial in supporting the fermentation process. Enzymes break down starches into fermentable sugars, creating a dark crust and sweeter dough. The boosted yeast activity accelerates fermentation, resulting in a taller, lighter, airier focaccia. Villa also added, "In addition, liquid malt is less sweet, [and] therefore ... won't greatly impact the [flavor] of focaccia."

The difference in sweetness arises because liquid malt primarily consists of maltose and complex carbohydrates, which add a mild yet complex sweetness. In contrast, honey's high fructose content results in a much sweeter focaccia.

Swapping honey for liquid malt is a simple yet impactful change that'll be sure to enhance the taste of your next homemade focaccia. There's no particular ratio to use, and you won't have to adjust for hydration levels or other ingredients to account for the swap, as Villa noted, "equal parts of liquid malt can be used in place of the honey called for in a recipe." It's really that easy!

If you're sold on adding liquid malt to your next focaccia, but have a sweet tooth and love the flavor honey adds, you can get the best of both worlds and mix the two together. "If a honey flavor is desired, a little can be added to the liquid malt[,] or it can be added to the finishing glaze of the focaccia (combine honey with olive oil, salt, [and] warm water)." So, you can adjust the sweetness while still reaping the benefits that liquid malt adds to the texture, appearance, and fermentation of your focaccia. Now that you know how to use it, why not have a go at including liquid malt in your recipe the next time you're making roasted red pepper focaccia with goat cheese or focaccia stuffed with taleggio and pancett?a.