Relatively inexperienced in bread making, my past efforts focused on rye recipes (hoping to mimic the great Goldberg Bakery crust and crumb that we can no longer get in Portland, OR). Found some excellent resources, but was discouraged by the time and detail steps required, plus my loaves turned out too dense. Renewed by the articulate medical argument against contents of commercial bread in “You and Your Diet” by physicians Roizen and Oz (a truly great read), I decided once again to engage baking, this time pursuing recipes that yielded maximum health benefits (e.g., fiber, anti-inflammatories, complex carbs, avoiding enriched/bleached flour), rich flavor, and wonderful crust and crumb. My web research happily drew me to this so easy no-knead phenom, especially this forum. Not having discovered a published recipe that produced this Nirvana, I tried to synthesize from related successes and counsel of others. Have baked 3 loaves using the “large” (approx 24 oz) approach. Trying to maximize proportions of spelt and dark rye; include flax seed, bulgur wheat, and barley; play with dough enhancers (i.e. xanthan gum, vital gluten flour). On my to-try list: Kamut flour (in place of unbleached-enriched AP), lecithin, ascorbic acid (vitamin C). First loaves were too dense (1/3 AP, 1/3 spelt, 1/3 rye with flax, bulgur, barley). Most recent loaf: Upped AP proportion to 60%, spelt 20%, rye 15%, flax-bulgur-barley 5%. Very wet dough, maybe because spelt needs less water; don’t think my second rise would have passed the poke test. Better rise (20 hr., 3 hr.). Wanted thinner crust, so shortened covered time in dutch oven from 30 to 20 min. Baked at 450 degrees F to 210 internal temperature. Came out of oven at 4.0 in. high x 9.0 in. diameter, but shrunk to 3.75 high after cooling. Very tasty, improved (acceptable, but not great) holes and crumb, still a little too thick crust. Seems a little too moist (knife shows sticky dough remnants). Have never heard my loaves crackle. Am eager to get input from my more experienced peers: What is your experience with Kamut, various dough enhancers? How have you achieved good holes, crumb, crust, and moisture content with these kinds of flours? Suggestions re proportions of water or other ingredients; baking technique, temperature and times? Am I chasing the impossible? Oh, and maybe a little off topic, has anyone tried baking more traditional dough, say mixed in a bread machine or kneaded with a Kitchen Aid mixer, in the dutch oven—or is this oven within an oven technique only appropriate for the no-knead technique with its high water content?
