Barley for Food and Health: Science, Technology, and Products

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and stored, and in some cases fermented, before drying and storing. This is an
interesting prepreparation of convenience foods from an earlier generation.
The earliest barley recipes recorded appear to be based on ground whole meal,
which was probably sifted to remove hulls. There is no mention of pearled barley
until eighteenth-century reference to Scotch broth, which included whole barley,
presumably in a crudely blocked form. Regions such as Tibet and Morocco
utilized whole-grain hulless barley, which does not require pearling. This is still
true today in those areas as well as North America and Europe. Although some
cultures prefer to pearl hulless barley to obtain a small white grain to blend in
with rice, the use of hulless barley is a distinct advantage for food processing.
MIDDLE EAST
Balady Bread (Pita, or Pocket Bread)
The flatbread balady is made throughout the eastern Mediterranean area, usually
with whole wheat flour or a mixture of whole wheat and barley flours. The
loaves puff up to form two layers when baking, which is convenient for eating
with a filling. Indigenous Bedouin tribes living in desert areas made a similar
bread without leavening, often with all barley flour, baked over an open fire on
a griddle (Davidson 1999).
2tspdryyeast
2 1 2
cups lukewarm water
2 1 2
cups barley flour
3to3 1 2
cups whole wheat flour (or a blend of whole wheat and white flours)
1Tbspsalt
1 Tbsp olive oil
In a large bowl, spread the yeast over the warm water, and stir to dissolve.
Stir in about half of the flour, then stir for about 1 minute. Cover, and let the
dough rest for 1 hour. Stir in the salt and olive oil, then add the remaining flour
gradually until a stiff dough is reached. Turn the dough out on a floured board
and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Wash the bowl, dry, and coat with additional oil.
Return the ball of dough to the bowl, cover, and allow the dough to rise until
double in size. Punch the dough down and cut into 16 pieces. Roll the pieces out
into circles 8 to 9 inches in diameter. Bake at 450 ◦ F for 2 to 3 minutes, or until
puffed. Breads can also be baked on a hot griddle, although the expansion will
be less.
Barley–Yogurt Soup
This barley–yogurt soup is made in Turkey, on the Anatolian Plateau, where
barley is grown. Yogurt has been a staple in Turkey for many centuries, and