Minimalist No-Knead Bread Technique (Part 2)

[Poffertjes]

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Perhaps the oats should be soaked separately overnight before adding them to the dough...there's no doubt that they will soak up a tremendous amount of water if they're just added "as is."

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Or add the oats when you first turn out the bread. Thats when I add raisins, when I use this recipe to make raisin bread. Then you don't have to worry about them sucking up water.

[honeye22]

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Perhaps the oats should be soaked separately overnight before adding them to the dough...there's no doubt that they will soak up a tremendous amount of water if they're just added "as is."

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Or add the oats when you first turn out the bread. Thats when I add raisins, when I use this recipe to make raisin bread. Then you don't have to worry about them sucking up water.

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Well, I mixed up two more batches of dough this morning and used a bit more water and I think I'm on the right track...dough was definitely "shaggy and sticky". Hopefully, when I get home I will have two glorious huge balls of dough ready to be baked!

[Special K]

Tried a batch today for the first time in a while, and this time I tried a smaller pot.  I'd been looking for a heavy pot between 3 and 4 quarts, because my 5 quart dutch oven makes a very spread out loaf.  I bought a cute corning ceramic pot of about 2 quarts to see what that would do, and it was definitely too small.  Their is a dent in the top of the loaf corresponding to the bottom of the lid.  Oops.

Still haven't encountered a clay pot or sandy pot that looked right, but now I have a better idea of what is too small.

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I posted elsewhere (the Le Creuset thread) that I bought four little 8 oz covered cocottes (stoneware, not cast iron) halved the recipe, filled each cocotte with a quarter of the dough, and baked (30 min at 500 degrees covered, then 40 minutes uncovered). Perfect little miniature rosemary asiago loaves! Cute as the dickens. Not sticky in the center, as some of my larger loaves have been, so I'd say the smaller the loaf the better.

[Joe Blowe]

...filled each cocotte with a quarter of the dough, and baked (30 min at 500 degrees covered, then 40 minutes uncovered).

Is that the correct time and temp? 1 hour 10 minutes at 500 degrees?

[Special K]

Is that the correct time and temp?  1 hour 10 minutes at 500 degrees?

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Umm, now you've got me wondering. I'm at work now - the notes I took on the recipe are at home. I'll check tonight. That doesn't sound right, does it? Probably I halved both times from the original recipe.

[honeye22]

Is that the correct time and temp?  1 hour 10 minutes at 500 degrees?

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Umm, now you've got me wondering. I'm at work now - the notes I took on the recipe are at home. I'll check tonight. That doesn't sound right, does it? Probably I halved both times from the original recipe.

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Well, it would appear that I overcompensated and added a bit too much water. The dough was a giant sticky mess, but the bread turned out marginally well. The crust is nice and crunchy, and it has a pretty good crumb, but was still a bit soggy in the middle. I've got a much drier dough at home resting so hopefully I will get it right in time for turkey day!

[Joe Blowe]

Another no-knead recipe has been published in today's NYT, titled Soon the Bread Will Be Making Itself. The recipe, adapted from "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day," by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, is reprinted here.

I'll be trying this out soon as I'm very curious to see how two-week old dough performs!

[eldereno]

Another no-knead recipe has been published in today's NYT, titled Soon the Bread Will Be Making Itself.  The recipe, adapted from "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day," by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, is reprinted here.

This looks quite intriguing. I will certainly be trying this recipe and, if successful, have a new cookbook in my future!!!!

I have made many recipes of the NKB since last year, 2 loaves to be baked first thing tomorrow morning. I agree that there should be some way to boost the flavor BUT they are still better (and greater appreciated by all those who share the loaves) than the typical grocery store fare. Never did bake bread before this recipe, though I own MANY books on bread baking. Always wanted to but found it way too intimidating. Give me another way of baking bread with little hands on, not too much advance planning, with good results....and I'm on board!

[ambra]

Hello All,

I am not a big baker and know nothing about baking bread, but reallllllly wanted to try this recipe. Where I live, the bread is delicious, but saltless (on purpose) and I am getting really bored of it!

I am however having trouble with the ingredients! Four supermarkets later, I cannot for the life of me find instant yeast as required for the recipe. It seems strange living in such a bread-centric part of the world (Italy) but alas.....

Maybe I will find it in a different city, but for now...this may be the single stupidest question on record as of yet, but like a said, I am a baking neophyte. Would the recipe work with fresh yeast? And if so, how much?

There is a however, a flour with instant yeast already in it. (?) I don't know what I think about it.

Also, I'm guessing I should use Grano Duro (translated to Hard Flour) in place of AP Flour as opposed to 00 flour which is used for pizza. Or not?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...Thank You. (I looked through all the pages and didn't find anything about fresh yeast, sorry if it's there.)

[baroness]

You will need more fresh yeast than the dry; the only bread recipe I could find quickly (not a no-knead bread) states 2 Tablespoons dry or 3 oz. fresh yeast . You'll have to handle the conversion to metric......

For flour, use the higher gluten type, the Grano Duro.

[ambra]

Thanks, so as long as I use the correct amount I can let it rise just as long as with the Instant Yeast?

[mhjoseph]

You will need more fresh yeast than the dry; the only bread recipe I could find quickly (not a no-knead bread) states 2 Tablespoons dry or 3 oz. fresh yeast . You'll have to handle the conversion to metric......

For flour, use the higher gluten type, the Grano Duro.

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I made the recipe, baking today from dough that's been in the fridge since Wednesday. They look gorgeous, I am saving them for guests tonight so I can't cut them open yet. Sorry about the blurry image, I took it on my Treo, but you get the idea.

The dough was quite wet and hard to work with. The boules spread out a lot and I thought they would be too flat but there was tremendous oven spring. I baked them 40 minutes out the fridge as the recipe called for.

Edited November 23, 2007 by mhjoseph (log)

[Special K]

Regarding the little Le Creuset stoneware cocottes for the bread:

Is that the correct time and temp?  1 hour 10 minutes at 500 degrees?

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Umm, now you've got me wondering. I'm at work now - the notes I took on the recipe are at home. I'll check tonight. That doesn't sound right, does it? Probably I halved both times from the original recipe.

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Sorry this is so late - no computer access at home over the holidays. Yes, It was 20 minutes covered, and 30 minutes uncovered. And the cocottes are a cup and a half in volume.

[llc45]

Another no-knead recipe has been published in today's NYT, titled Soon the Bread Will Be Making Itself.  The recipe, adapted from "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day," by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, is reprinted here.

I'll be trying this out soon as I'm very curious to see how two-week old dough performs!

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I was so pleased with how the bread turned out that I ordered the book. Just received it in the mail - I am so excited. It has recipes for all different types of peasant bread, bagels, pizza crust, brioche, many sweet bread recipes (OK - I'll stop). I think I am going to try one of the wheat ones next.

The thing I love is that I can make 4 (or 8) at a time. I can make a loaf of bread, then a pizza crust, then a stromboli because I have premade dough ready to go. The first two loaves that I made from the NYT recipe didn't have a lot of sourdough flavor so I am waiting to make the next two to see how much flavor develops. One of the things that the book recommends to get more sourdough flavor is to mix the next batch right in the same bowl without washing. The old dough will then become the "sourdough" started for the new mixture.

Unfortunately, I am busy this next week or two but will definitely be trying many of the sweet breads and brioches as soon as I get time. For every day bread, I have been buying an organic wheat sourdough bread from a great local baker. Now I am going to see if I can get somewhat close with one of the peasant bread recipes that has wheat, rye, and white flour. I also see weekly pizza in my future!

[Ophey]

The Washington Post Food Section just had an article with some no-knead breads.

The article

Recipes:

Easy Slow-Rise, No-Knead Light Wheat (or White) Bread

Slow-Rise, No-Knead Cinnamon-Raisin Bread

Slow-Rise, No-Knead Rustic Caraway-Beer Bread

Slow-Rise, No-Knead Soft White (or Soft Light Wheat) Rolls

- Ophey

[HowardLi]

Looks like I'll be heading down to the Chinese supermarket to pick up a clay pot.

Is there anything that can get me the shape of a batard without the cost of the one linked to ($50)?

[kiliki]

The latest Cook's Illustrated has taken on the recipe. Their main complaint was the same as mine-beautiful loaf, zero flavor. They added 1/4 cup of lager and a little vinegar, and sure enough, the flavor is much better-slightly yeasty and tangy now. But, I doubt I'll make it again. The loaf still isn't as good as bread I can buy just a few blocks away. If I lived in the middle of nowhere, or in the kind of place that only has big chain supermarkets with bad bread, I'd probably make it part of my repertoire.

[Pam R]

I made a loaf last week. I haven't made it in months and wanted to give it another go. This time I mixed it, left it on the counter for about 6 hours, then tossed it in the fridge for about 20. Onto the counter for another 20 or so.

I think it had more flavour than the other loaves, but next time I'll leave it in the fridge for a couple of days. I'm a fan of the bread but am happy to play with it.

[Special K]

The latest Cook's Illustrated has taken on the recipe. Their main complaint was the same as mine-beautiful loaf, zero flavor. They added 1/4 cup of lager and a little vinegar, and sure enough, the flavor is much better-slightly yeasty and tangy now. But, I doubt I'll make it again. The loaf still isn't as good as bread I can buy just a few blocks away. If I lived in the middle of nowhere, or in the kind of place that only has big chain supermarkets with bad bread, I'd probably make it part of my repertoire.

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I haven't seen the CI issue yet - did they tinker with the salt? Really, I find that just adding an extra teaspoon of salt makes a huge difference (but I can't seem to help also adding some shaved Asiago or Parmesan and some chopped rosemary, too). I made two loaves yesterday, one in my Romertopf and one in a round Corningware casserole. I've been adding just a little less water than the recipe calls for, and just turning the dough into the hot pot at the end of the 18 hours. Both loaves turned out fine. The lager and vinegar additions sound great - I'll try that next.

[kiliki]

They tinkered with the salt and everything else (sorry, I didn't mean to say that they just added lager and vinegar to the original recipe-there are other modifications). Yeah, I've added more salt than was called for in the original recipe (that was absolutely necessary!), and I've made a few loaves with other changes as well (I'd made Steingarten's recipe most recently). Those recipes were still not as good as the bread from my favorite local artisan bakeries.

[saluki]

The latest Cook's Illustrated has taken on the recipe. Their main complaint was the same as mine-beautiful loaf, zero flavor. They added 1/4 cup of lager and a little vinegar, and sure enough, the flavor is much better-slightly yeasty and tangy now. But, I doubt I'll make it again. The loaf still isn't as good as bread I can buy just a few blocks away. If I lived in the middle of nowhere, or in the kind of place that only has big chain supermarkets with bad bread, I'd probably make it part of my repertoire.

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I haven't seen the CI issue yet - did they tinker with the salt? Really, I find that just adding an extra teaspoon of salt makes a huge difference (but I can't seem to help also adding some shaved Asiago or Parmesan and some chopped rosemary, too). I made two loaves yesterday, one in my Romertopf and one in a round Corningware casserole. I've been adding just a little less water than the recipe calls for, and just turning the dough into the hot pot at the end of the 18 hours. Both loaves turned out fine. The lager and vinegar additions sound great - I'll try that next.

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the cooks illustrated amount of salt is 1 1/2 teaspoons

7 oz water

3 oz mild-flavored lager

1 TB white vinegar

rest is the same---I haven't made it yet. I'd love to hear results others are having.

[saluki]

Cook's also has a rye variation using

1 5/8 cups (8 oz)of AP flour and 1 1/8 cups rye flour

(7 oz) +2 TB caraway seeds----

the rest of the ingredients are the same for the liquids as Almost No-NK

7 oz water; 3oz mild lager and 1 TB white vinegar.

Yeast is same as NK.

Salt is 1 1/2 tea.

When they get to the two hour rise they are also taking the hurling it into a hot pot and see how it plops, out of the equation by spraying a piece of parchment with non stick cooking spray and letting the dough rise on the parchment in a ten inch skillet. They spray the top of the dough and loosely cover it in plastic to rise

At the end of the rise they slash the top and transfer the parchment into the hot cast iron pot----no flipping

[Pam R]

At the end of the rise they slash the top and transfer the parchment into the hot cast iron pot----no flipping

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That's what I've been doing since the beginning. Very easy, less mess.

[kiliki]

They also knead it 10-15 times before the last rise.

FYI, they use table salt, not sea salt. They also lower the temp from 500 to 425 when the dough goes in the preheated pan, then they take the lid off for the last 20-30 minutes.

[Gabe D.]

I just tried this no-knead technique and unfortunately, I'll be the first one (that I've seen) to post of equipment failure. I used my relatively new Chefmate enameled cast iron dutch oven (from Target) and when I pulled the bread out, I found several large cracks in the enamel on the inside of the pot. Also, even though I double wrapped the lid handle in heavy duty aluminum foil, it is now warped and "bubbly" looking.

The good news is that it was a relatively cheap, and now I get to shop for a new one.