No knead bread revisited

I've never tried bread making - these may be a good start!

It's on my list to try. Lahey also has a faster method where he keeps the recipe the same, including the incredibly small amount of yeast, but he adds 1/4 tsp. of vinegar and uses hot water. Instead of 18 hours, he gives it a 3 - 4 hour rise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LaODcYSRXU&feature=fvsr

now I really want some toast

I haven't played with the recipe, I'm not confident enough with bread. Thank goodness this is easy and tasty.

The first loaf of Frency bread I made, Mr.Irish had to get the hack saw from the garage to get it sliced. Honestly -- we could have used it for a weapon (the bread - not the saw, which might have been tastier lol).

Thanks, I'll look at that. I kind of like the eighteen hours since I'm a lazy soul, but I'll enjoy having alternatives.

I just put out this recipe about a week ago! (Mark Bittman reminded me of it.) I need yeast.

I made it once, it was AMAZING, and for absolutely no good reason I haven't made it since. If I remember the dang yeast (I've made two trips to the grocery store without getting it), I plan to make it again soon. Will report.

I have a lovely cast-iron dutch oven that seems perfect for it.

I'm about to go to step 2, the fold and wait an hour or two part -
have my cast iron dutch oven ready and waiting in the oven (though not heated to 450 yet). I don't have just the right sized pan - the dutch oven is a little large, to me, but it works. I have a le creuset pan, but it's one of the smaller ones.

I forgot to add in the first post, that I had substituted 1/3 cup of stone ground whole wheat flour for regular unbleached, 1/3 c in a total of 3 cups. I'm going to try that by increments, since that last fast no knead whole wheat loaf came out super dense, no doubt somehow my fault. Carol Fields (The Italian Baker) uses a 3 - 3/4 unbleached to 2 whole wheat ratio in her pan bigio; I'll try working up to that.

Re the time I seriously flubbed up - at the same time I was making the bread, I was thawing dough for pizza - but when it thawed, I found it was biga, which is italian for "starter". So I added that to the Lahey recipe instead of throwing it out, thereby wreaking havoc. Not only did I do that, I added wheat bran to the mix. I ended up with a lalapalooza dark brown loaf with a sort of a sack of oranges shape.... edible though.



Hah - I just found this - from Jim Lahey's book (My Bread) via NYT, a no-knead pane integrale recipe (whole wheat and unbleached):
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/magazine/11food-t-001.html?_r=1

I found the link at http://www.sevenspoons.net/blog/2010/4/9/ebb-and-flow.html - which looks like a really good blog (flog, to me).

Since I'm a chicken with hot pots, I put the dough on Parchment paper to rise. that way I can pick up the dough with the parchment paper handles and put it into the hot dutch oven. Works like a charm.

I pulled out the rack with one mitt, took off the lid and put it on the stove top with the other, turned and grabbed the dough and folded it, centered it on the pot bottom, seam up, and dropped it, got a mitt and pushed the rack back in the oven.

A minute now until I take the top off for the last fifteen minutes. Ok, did that, and it's looking good. A nice hearth bread roundish type loaf, and the size of the dutch oven is bigger but of no matter.

Dammit, I should do this more often. I remember saying I would.

I'm going to try the whole wheat recipe. Is that the one you made today, osso?

What kind of yeast are you baker-peoples using for this recipe?

Ok, it's fabulous, I just sliced an end off. Crusty outside, chewy in the best way inside, and the crushed fennel did not harm, to my taste.

I use regular old store brand all purpose active yeast.

Swimp, I used the original Fahey recipe with two changes - added fennel, made a tenth of the flour whole wheat.

My next one (soon, soon) will be his whole wheat version, which seems to make it 1/4 whole wheat, if my math is right.

Okay, now that I've eaten three slices of warm bread with some butter slivers, I have to add a little naysaying. The flavor isn't that rich, and the toothiness of the inner loaf isn't strong. It was that way the first time too. I'm going to do the Lahey whole wheat recipe next, and then try Field's old fashioned pan bigio again (that one gets kneading and more yeast). This last bread was easy to make, though, and beats all the store bread around here.

Later observation on the Lahey bread: I kept it in the refrigerator for a few days (not usually what I do with hearth-bread types of homemade bread, and the interior firmed up enough to be a great sandwich bread, and didn't get more hard than that.

About time for me to try the whole wheat recipe - will post on it if so.

I see I already did that..

Back to Carol Fields. I've been exploring since I have hand foofoo going on, to get away from kneading. But I will always love slapping a loaf ... (I forget what recipe that advice was from, but I think one of the wet ones..).

Off to play with bread again - this time No Knead Sourdough Rye Bread, from
http://www.breadtopia.com/sourdough-rye-bread/
This can also be made with regular old instant yeast.

I'm liking this whole website, haven't checked it out before this.

I've got some frozen biga (italian for starter) - we'll see, I may end up with rye pancakes tomorrow, but I'll try it anyway.


quoting from the link -

This is my favorite rye bread recipe of all time… so far. I could have just as easily called it Swedish Rye Bread or Aroma Therapy Bread for that matter (takes the coveted baking bread smell to another level). And if you’re not into sourdough baking, no problem, I cover the instant yeast version as well.

So much time had passed since my last video shoot I’d forgotten the challenge of keeping a video short and concise. Sorry about the way this one drones on. If you’re already a bread baker, you can probably just go off the written recipe and instructions below.

Osso - I don't know how to transfer the videos - which I liked, found helpful, so see link for those.

Can show a photo though -



On Rye: Higher in protein, phosphorus, iron and potassium than wheat. It’s high in lysine, low in gluten and very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Zinc, Copper and Selenium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber and Manganese.

Rye bread, including pumpernickel, is a widely eaten food in Northern and Eastern Europe. Rye is also used to make the familiar crisp bread.

Some other uses of rye include rye whiskey and use as an alternative medicine in a liquid form, known as rye extract. Often marketed as Oralmat, rye extract is a liquid obtained from rye and similar to that extracted from wheatgrass. Its benefits are said to include a strengthened immune system, increased energy levels and relief from allergies, but there is no clinical evidence for its efficacy. Rye also seems active in the prevention of prostate cancer.


Sourdough Rye Recipe:

Ingredients:
Water: 400 grams, 1 3/4 cups
Sourdough Starter: 70 grams, 1/3 cup (omit if making the instant yeast version)
Instant Yeast: 1 tsp. (omit if making sourdough leavened version)
Rye Flour: 245 grams, 1 3/4 cups
Bread Flour: 245 grams, 1 3/4 cups
Molasses: 44 grams, 2 Tbs.
Fennel Seed: 8 grams, 1 Tbs.
Anise Seed: 2 grams, 1 tsp.
Caraway Seed: 3 grams, 1 tsp.
Salt: 12 grams, 1 3/4 tsp.
Zest of 1 Orange

For sourdough version:

In a mixing bowl, mix the starter into the water. Add the molasses, all the seeds and orange zest.

In a separate bowl, combine the flours and salt.

Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet using a dough whisk or spoon until the flour is well incorporated. Cover with plastic and let rest for 15 minutes. After about 15 minutes, mix again for a minute or two. Again let rest for 15 minutes and mix one more time as before. Now cover the bowl with plastic and let sit at room temperature for roughly 12-14 hours.

For instant yeast version:

The only difference is don’t use sourdough starter and instead mix the instant yeast into the dry ingredients before combining with the wet ingredients.

Note on 12-14 hour proofing period: I typically prepare everything in the evening for baking the next morning. You can also mix everything up in the morning and refrigerate until evening then remove before bed to resume the proofing at room temperature. Alternatively, if you get started with mixing everything up early enough in the morning, the bread can also be ready to bake in the evening. This is a nice option when you want fresh bread ready to eat for breakfast.

After the long 12-14 hour proof, stretch and fold the dough and shape into boule or batard (round or oblong) shape for baking. (If you didn’t follow that, I’m afraid you’re doomed to watch the video.) Cover again with plastic and let rest 15 minutes before putting in a proofing basket for the final rise. If you don’t have a proofing basket, line a bowl with a well floured kitchen towel and put the dough in there for the final rise. The final rise should last somewhere between 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Keep the dough covered with plastic to prevent it from drying out.

Preheat your oven to 475 F a half hour before baking.

Score the dough with a razor or sharp serrated knife and bake until the internal temp is about 200 F.

Let cool completely before eating.

Well, I screwed the bread up big time. I'm sure my starter wasn't right for the recipe - and knew it almost right away. My flours and liquids came together quickly as a near solid, if sticky mass. No need to stir it every fifteen minutes (2x) to develop some kind of heft, it was hefty already. Did not rise much over 14 hours, or in the next 1 1/2 hours. Did a bit in the oven, just enough for me to call it failed bread instead of a failed lump. Not only that, it was tough, near scorched, on the bottom crust and not done on the inside. Plus no visible air bubbles. I figure it was the frozen biga - even difference re altitude wouldn't cause this, at least to this extent.

Damned thing tasted good, but I had to throw it out.

I'll try this again, either making the starter from scratch like they say, or using instant yeast. I think I'll do that first, as at least it is a product out there on the market, not just in my bowl in my kitchen.

The good news is I had one cooking success this week - the pumpkin buttermilk panna cotta. Tasted good to me, and easy.
http://able2know.org/topic/179450-1#post-4778750