April 11, 2012 - 1:47pm
My Lahey "No Knead" bread is not bursting open anymore?
I am not sure why or how but since I have been getting better at making bread, my loaf is not bursting open at the top anymore? They all had a nice organic ear or seam at the top to let the gases out, but I don't know where the gassed are going? The tops are smooth now.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
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If we know what you changed, we might be able to guess.
Sometimes they do this:
Sometimes they do this:
They taste the same either way.
Are you using the NYTimes recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html
My recipe is the same except for the salt is new. Here it is;
400gr King Arthur Organic Bread Flour
320gr of cool water
1 1/4 tsp Sel Gris French grey sea salt
1/4 SAF yeast
I changed;
-the pot from a Lodge 5 qt cast Iron to a Lodge Cast Iron Combo Cooker
-the salt from Hain Sea Salt to Sel Gris French Salt
-my shaping has improved. I am rounding it and building tension a lot better than in the beginning.
-I use lined bannetons for proofing instead of a kitchen towel on the flat counter.
Any thoughts...........
That's about all that comes to mind from reading your changes, that you could be increasing the tension of the crust, making it more difficult/unlikely for it to "bloom". If so, you could try scoring it.
If I think of something else, I'll post again.
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(I haven't made it in years. From what I remember, it was too wet for me to shape it at all; likewise, I wouldn't have been able to proof it in a banneton without it sticking irrevocably (just noticed you lined the banneton, so deleting). I also remember it being exceptionally bland with a weird texture, but maybe my skill has improved enough such that I could coax something edible out of the recipe.)
Thank you that makes sense.
The crust has changed and I definitely noticed it with the bannetons from the San Fran Baking Institute. It has a thick fabric sewn on it and it seems like it sucks the water out of the outer part of the loaf. Is their a way to prevent that?
You should try to make it again!!! We eat it everyday. The kids have it for toast in the morning, take it for sandwiches in their lunches and we eat it for dinner when we need bread. I have not bought bread from the store since I started making the "No Knead" bread in Nov of 2011.