The Fresh Loaf

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"...Bread in Five Minutes a Day" puzzlement

brec's picture
brec

"...Bread in Five Minutes a Day" puzzlement

I had thought, or assumed, that what compensated for lack of kneading in the subject books was extended time, in a refrigerator, before shaping.

In "The New Healthy..." version of the book series the emphasis is on whole grain breads. I notice that the approach in that book calls for mixing, fermentation to doubling in size and then either (a) immediately using a loaf-size portion for shaping and baking, or (b) refrigeration until (at least) the next day. But the only reason the authors give for choosing (b) is that cold dough is easier to work with.

But (a) amounts to: mix, rise, shape, bake. What happened to kneading? What in this case is compensating for its lack?