Reinhart and kneading

I started my recent bread making initiative by following Jeffrey Hamelman's formula and instructions on a no-knead bread. The ingredients were hand-mixed in a bowl until combined (shaggy) and then set aside for half an hour. Next I used a scraper to gently fold the dough a few times while in the bowl, then set it aside for another half hour. This went on for about 3 hours and then I let it rest for an hour before shaping and proofing.

Time is your friend and time develops flavor in bread. A deeper flavor may require several hours of fermentation and gluten development can take a little or a lot of time, depending on how you handle the dough. The ideal is to have the flavors peak just about the time the gluten development peaks. If you were to vigorously knead the dough for 10 - 15 minutes, the let the dough rest for 3 - 4 hours to develop the flavor, the gluten would have broken down by the time you got the loaves to the oven. The bread would probably taste good but be flat because the gluten could no longer support the weight.

Most of the contributors here us a long, slow fermentation process with gentle handling. It takes a bit of practice but the end result is well worth it. 

I don't know the Laurel's Kitchen formula or method so I cannot comment. You mentioned Peter Reinhart's book and was taken aback by the slow fermentation and timing. Are you planning on trying something out of that book?

If you want to do a little research on different breads and methods I recommend you visit this website:

http://www.breadwerx.com/

Trevor Wilson has made an impact on many bakers here and his videos and written commentary are both informative and entertaining. After spending a little time on his site you should have a better understanding of the slow, gentle bread process.

Craftsey.com also has some really good training videos. Look under "Bake" and filter on "Bread Baking". Peter Reinhart has a couple of videos there.

I've made all kinds of bread, trying all kinds of methods and techniques. I have done no-knead bread in the 5 minutes a day style and have used Peter Reinhart's "Artisan Breads Every Day" extensively. I still make several of the breads from this book. His method in this book relies on bulk fermenting in the fridge for at least 12 hours but up to five days. This time develops the gluten in the dough.

Now I'm working through some of the traditional European recipes from Daniel Leader's "Local Breads". The most extreme of these call for mixing fairly high-hydration dough in a stand mixer at high speed (yes, as high as the mixer goes in some cases) for up to 18 minutes. I've tried a couple of these in the last few days and can confirm that, contrary to what some think (and I thought too), this does not destroy the gluten, the texture or the taste. The two breads I made using this method turned out quite lovely. I've made some of my other usual breads using a more moderate version of this method (i.e. my signature sourdough; about 72% hydration, mixed at speed 4 for about 5 minutes before stretch & fold and bulk ferment, then overnight in the fridge) and the dough turned out nicer than usual with very good oven spring.

So, many ways to do it and always fun to try them out!

I use different methods, depending on the breads I want to bake and my schedule. But all my breads are made with long fermentation, because I want to develop the best taste possible.

Different VIP bakers use the methods they find work best for them (or, maybe) best suit their temperament - like Bertinet's slapping method (my suspicion). I like a more minimalist approach, and employ either Reinhart's preferment method from "Whole Grain Breads" or S&F from "Artisan Breads Every Day", if I don't bake a no-knead bread à la Tartine.

Another aspect are the limitations of my 7-qt KitchenAid Mixer's kneading abilities. It overheats easily, even at low speed, if you knead longer with it, an absolute no-go with whole grain doughs.

Karin