No knead bread

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andya700

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Over the Christmas period, I was watching the Paul Hollywood programmes, where he visits different cities. In the New York edition, he was at a bakery run by a Jim Leahay, who uses the "no knead" bread method, which basically involves adding the ingredients (flour, yeast, salt and water) to a bowl, giving it a quick stir, covering the bowl in clingfilm, leaving to prove for 24 hours and then folding and proving, reshaping and then cooking in a "Dutch oven" - large covered cast iron casserole dish as far as I could see.
I have just got a bread dough on the go, so will try it and report back.
I was wondering if anyone on here had tried the method, because it should produce an "artisan" style loaf with great texture and crust.
 
Sounds interesting I look forward to hearing about the results. I was just about to buy a maker if this is ok I might not need too!

Don't think my house is warm enough for the proving though.
 
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andy700 said:
Over the Christmas period, I was watching the Paul Hollywood programmes, where he visits different cities. In the New York edition, he was at a bakery run by a Jim Leahay, who uses the "no knead" bread method, which basically involves adding the ingredients (flour, yeast, salt and water) to a bowl, giving it a quick stir, covering the bowl in clingfilm, leaving to prove for 24 hours and then folding and proving, reshaping and then cooking in a "Dutch oven" - large covered cast iron casserole dish as far as I could see.
I have just got a bread dough on the go, so will try it and report back.
I was wondering if anyone on here had tried the method, because it should produce an "artisan" style loaf with great texture and crust.
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It's a style of bread making my maternal grandmother used most of the time back in the 50's and 60s.

I used to make bread as oart of my recovery when I broke my arm badly in a motorbike accident but the kneading was the main exercise in the rehab regime. I might go back and try the no knead process. [emoji106]
 
rjbell said:
Sounds interesting I look forward to hearing about the results. I was just about to buy a maker if this is ok I might not need too!

Don't think my house is warm enough for the proving though.
Click to expand...


I tend to do the first proving (the long part, usually over 12 hours if possible) in a very cool part of the house. As for bread makers - that is me, I have never bothered with them, just two large (40cm) plastic bowls and a good flat, clean piece of worktop. I have been baking bread for a good number of years now, and you do get better with practice (there are always a few unexplained failures along the way though). I don't use moulds (except to make very even baguettes/ficelles), so do it all freeform.

8026669096_c048386e4d_z.jpg


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I hope to improve on the above examples if the latest method works
 
andy700 said:
I tend to do the first proving (the long part, usually over 12 hours if possible) in a very cool part of the house. As for bread makers - that is me, I have never bothered with them, just two large (40cm) plastic bowls and a good flat, clean piece of worktop. I have been baking bread for a good number of years now, and you do get better with practice (there are always a few unexplained failures along the way though). I don't use moulds (except to make very even baguettes/ficelles), so do it all freeform.

8026669096_c048386e4d_z.jpg


23465244406_3ccd1204f7_z.jpg


I hope to improve on the above examples if the latest method works
Click to expand...
You sound as though you know what you're doing, you may be able to help me. :)
I get to the first prove stage with no problem, then the "Knocking back" bit (Is this to prevent large air bubbles forming in the bake?)
I have problems with the second prove. It never seems to rise as much as I think it should. It increases by about half and then starts to collapse.
Could I be over-proving at the first stage and exhausting the yeast?
 
The no knead works OK and the "original" New York version is on YouTube for those that are interested. Bread making machines are very useful just for kneading the dough especially when your hands don't work as well as they used to. This thread has reminded me that I have been making bread for about 65 years, ever since there was a bakery strike when I was still at school!
Sourdough is worth trying too. Use bottled water when making the starter if tap water doesn't work -- I think it's the chlorine.
 
rjbell said:
Don't think my house is warm enough for the proving though.
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As said above, it just takes longer if colder but could put it in one of those freezer boxes to keep it warm. One can also use an oven if you can set it low enough.
 
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Graham W said:
You sound as though you know what you're doing, you may be able to help me. :)
I get to the first prove stage with no problem, then the "Knocking back" bit (Is this to prevent large air bubbles forming in the bake?)
I have problems with the second prove. It never seems to rise as much as I think it should. It increases by about half and then starts to collapse.
Could I be over-proving at the first stage and exhausting the yeast?
Click to expand...


Graham, I used to produce what I called "flying saucer" bread, and I think this was a result of being too greedy with the second prove after shaping, letting them prove too much. I also found with a traditional free form bloomer type loaf, dividing the dough into four (when using 700g of flour and 500ml of water) rather than two, seemed to help them maintain shape better. I always try to make the final, shaped prove as warm as possible (next to a radiator if possible). With a well hydrated mix (over 70% - the 700/500 is 71%) which I use for Ciabatta and Baguettes, I don't knock the dough back before shaping, I just tip the dough gently out on to a well floured surface, and then fold it in two (so you have a long sausage shape) using a tiler's silicon grouting scraper, roll it gently in semolina flour (makes for a great crust), then divide it into two or four for Ciabatta, or six to eight for Baguettes/Ficelles and gently put them on flat baking sheets. The second prove takes less than an hour, and I just use my eyes, watching to see how the dough has risen. I have an oven thermometer abnd heat the oven to 220C. I sprinkle the loaves with lukewarm water before putting them in as this causes steam, once again helping the rise and the crust.
 
sphexx said:
The no knead works OK and the "original" New York version is on YouTube for those that are interested. Bread making machines are very useful just for kneading the dough especially when your hands don't work as well as they used to. This thread has reminded me that I have been making bread for about 65 years, ever since there was a bakery strike when I was still at school!
Sourdough is worth trying too. Use bottled water when making the starter if tap water doesn't work -- I think it's the chlorine.
Click to expand...


We live in a hard water area, and the tap water is vile, so we have to buy bottled water for tea making (I hate darjeeling with added chlorine) or else you end up with every drink being akin to an underwater swim in the local swimming pool. Hard water does have an adverse effect on yeast I believe.
 
andy700 said:
We live in a hard water area, and the tap water is vile, so we have to buy bottled water for tea making (I hate darjeeling with added chlorine) or else you end up with every drink being akin to an underwater swim in the local swimming pool. Hard water does have an adverse effect on yeast I believe.
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I'm in hard water area too and it may be that that interferes with the sourdough but our chlorine is sometimes strong enough to smell. It's only the sourdough starter I've had to use bottle water with, tap water is fine for later stages. Of course it is wild yeasts one is dealing with so they must vary from area to area and flour to flour and may be some are more affected than others.
Makes you think that when people have difficulty getting bought yeast to work it could be worth trying boiled or bottled water.
 
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Well, I think we may be onto a winner here. It was a bit of a faff, mainly because of the wet dough, and how difficult it was to shape, but it is out now and looking quite good. The kitchen smells great, just like a bakery should. The loaf kind of slopped into the Le Creuset imitation casserole pot (cast iron), but when I took the top off after half an hour at 230C, it had risen, so I left it another twenty minutes to brown. It does look like an artisan loaf, but will it taste like one? I will have to wait until tomorrow to find out and may take a few shots if it looks good inside.
 
The result was better than hoped for, so I will be using the method again. The crust is chewy and the bread has a nice, open cellular structure, and the taste is great, very much like a ciabatta. As soon as I can load some shots onto Flickr I will post them here.
 
rjbell said:
Sounds interesting I look forward to hearing about the results. I was just about to buy a maker if this is ok I might not need too!

Don't think my house is warm enough for the proving though.
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Do you have an airing cupboard?
Perfect for proving dough.
 
I totally agree, no need (forgive the pun) to buy a robot.
 
Now, there was no knead for that to happen.

I'll get me (Brian) Coat.
 
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