no knead

No Knead Rye

2012-04-17 I mixed a batch of No Knead Rye at 2030 hrs with flours amounts as indicated (organic AP & RM dark rye), 200 water, 222 Kona Golden Ale, 137g wild yeast (orange juice starter, first use) in place of the ½ tsp yeast called out in the recipe, and 1 heaping Tblspn caraway.

Next morning, 0615 hrs, its bloomed quite nicely (2 ½ times)! Hmm…

So, I did several stretch and folds with a big bowl scraper and turned the dough out into an oil sprayed white French ceramic baker, covered with shower cap and let it proof while I went to work. Returning home at 1730 hrs, I found a big growth, drooping over the edges of the baker! I carefully removed the shower cap releasing the dough gently and preheated the oven to 400deg. Baked 45 min, slashing top after 10, no cover. Removed from oven and turned out onto rack, egg washed and let cool. No oven spring, but that’s probably due to over proofing. Going to work gets in the way of my baking! LOL

Pics are a bit gold in hue. Camera setting?

Couldn’t wait much longer for a taste. After a 20 minute cool, I sliced. Oh la la, so good. Mr. Stanley asked if I had any brisket for a sandwich (corned beef).

I've been fooling around with the No Knead Method, first following the classic procedure to good result. In the past 2 weeks, I've baked a loaf with my wild yeast starter. Week One, I followed the traditional bake in covered heavy cooker. Today, I ventured out and did the second proof in an oil sprayed glass loaf pan. I like the way it turned out.

2012-04-14 1300hrs-Started a proof with 140g of my wild yeast, 198g hi gluten flour (bin stock), 100g AP (KAF), 58g semolina (Red Mill), 6oz Blue Moon, 4oz Crystal Geyser, 1 tsp sea salt.

Overnight proof until 0830 hrs next morning, then several gentle stretch and fold with silicone bowlscraper and into a oiled loaf pan. I sprinkled with poppy seeds, then covered and proofed until 1445hrs.

Into a preheated 375deg gas convection for 35 minutes, turning halfway through.

 It's good! I will add about 30g more AP on the next loaf for a little stiffer dough which I hope will produce a rounder loaf top. This dough was quite soft and (during proof) wanted to wrap around the pan edges. The flavour is quite nice. I have a good sour starter. I am pleased with the result.

• 4 cups bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/4 cups water

1. Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, yeast, salt) in the large bowl and stir with spoon for about 15 seconds.
2. Add water to the bowl and stir for about 1 or 2 minutes (it won’t look that good but that doesn’t matter).
3. Cover the top of the bowl loosely with plastic wrap.
4. Let sit on counter top for about 12 to 16 hours (I ussually do this for about 13 hours), the dough will look all bubbly on the top when done rising.
5. Generously sprinkle flour the top of your clean counter top or a cutting board (don’t worry about using too much flour, it won’t hurt it).
6. Slowly pour the dough from the bowl on to the floured surface, using the silicone spatula to help it peal off the sides of the bowl.
7. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and rub your hands together with flour.
8. With you hands, gently stretch each dough out to a rectangle shape.
9. Lay the purple dough on top of the white dough.
10. Roll up the dough from one end to the other.
11. Place the dough into a lightly greased bread pan (seam side down).
12. Let dough rise till it is a bit above the top of the bread pan (about double in size or 1 to 1.5 hours).
13. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
14. Place bread in the oven for 30 minutes.
15. Remove from oven, dump bread out on a cooling rack or your counter top and allow it to cool.

Recently we have had a few posts on people having issues getting the No Knead Bread to turn out a wonderful as it should. Jim Lahey has just published a new book called "My Bread" that I thought might be fun to take a look at. It isn't an expensive book at $16.60 and has many variations on his original recipe as well as many popular variations of offerings at the Sullivan Street Bakery.

I thought I would start with the basic formula which is all Bread Flour. It almost came to pass but at the last minute I swapped out 5% of white for rye. I love what a small amount of rye does to a simple white flavor. All of Lahey's formulas call for 400 grams of flour and 300 grams of water and 2% salt. The variable is the yeast which runs from 1-3 grams depending on the additions. The resultant hydration is 75%.

One concern about the KNB process is that the chance of mixing a smooth silky dough with no lumps is diminished by minimal mixing and no kneading. After my initial mix, I went to check the dough after an hour and found many clumps of partially hydrated dough. I know that these clumps will result in inconsistency in the crumb. So, I deviated from the script and did a frissage, (squishing the dough with the heel of your hand while sliding it across the counter) which broke up the clumps. Now I have a smooth cool dough that will set at room temperature for at least 12 hours.

Somewhere along the way, the NKB process took a turn towards what I would call normal breads in that Lahey now wants us to do a second fermentation after a brief shaping. The book calls for flouring a towel and setting the bread in a bowl to "proof". I used a linen lined basket and let it proof for 2 hours.

Interestingly, the procedure calls for the final ferment (proof) to be done seams down and baked seams up. No slashing is called for so the bread expands on the weakness of the bottom seams from shaping. It worked pretty well on the two loaves I have done although I would have liked a better spring.

I baked the loaf in the Lodge Combo Cooker, 15 minutes covered and 15 open at 460F. The internal was just over 203F. I didn't get the wildly open crumb structure that is shown in the book image but it's very appropriate for the bread, and delicious.

There are several very interesting recipes in Chapter Three "Specialties of the House" that are on my to-do list. The Italian Stecca with tomatoes and garlic pressed in the top of a stick. Then the Beyond water section, there are several interesting selections. The carrot bread looks like it would be fun and tasty. It uses home made juice extracted from carrots for hydration. So here is my first crack at the new "My Bread".

Eric

Just a little course corn meal prevents scorching on the bottom.