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No-Knead Balloon Bread Loaf #10
The 18 Hour Fermented Dough
The Shaped Dough 6 to 6-1/2 by 2 Inches High
The 2 Hour Proofed Dough 8 to 8-1/2 by 2 Inches High
Dough Placed into the Hot Dutch Oven
The Bread Baked 20 Minutes with the Lid on
The Bread Placed on a Baking Sheet to Bake for 10 More Minutes
The 4 Inch High Loaf Cooling and Still Crisp
The Sliced Loaf
One Slice Held up to The Light
Well that’s what it looked like—an inflated balloon! I love the 80% hydration and may even increase it for the next go round. But this is pretty close to my idea of perfection for this bread.
I haven’t yet tried it in the Lodge 5 quart enamel cast iron as they are temporarily out of stock and I’m sure it’s due to this bread technique! But the reason I wanted to try it is because some people have reported problems with sticking in cast iron. This would not be the case if they used the Lodge pre-seasoned Dutch oven or if they already have a well-seasoned one. Lodge’s website has great directions for seasoning cast iron if/when it needs it. I’ve never had the bread stick in my reseasoned cast iron Dutch oven and the pot keeps getting blacker and more beautiful through use.
My Final (to Date) Recipe Weights and Volume
Harvest King flour or half unbleached all-purpose half bread flour:
468 grams (about 3 cups)
room temperature water: 382 grams, 1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons/13 fluid ounces)
instant yeast: 0.8 grams/1/4 teaspoon
salt: 10 grams/1-2/3 teaspoons
NEW TIPS
Although free-form bread (baked on a stone) has the largest holes, 80% hydration is holey enough for me and I like the full 4 inch over-all height the Dutch oven side support gives it.
When bread is this moist and sticky, for shaping you need to scrape it onto a well- floured surface, and lightly flour the top before patting it down gently. Then use a bench scraper to help lift it for shaping. Latex gloves work wonderfully to keep it from sticking to your fingers if you’re not comfortable with handling super sticky doughs.
Set the shaped dough on a coarse-weave towel sprinkled amply with bran. No need to sprinkle the top as it should have enough flour from the counter.
Bread with 80% hydration will spread to about 8 1/2 inches and only rise to 2 inches when fully proofed and ready to bake. At 80˚F/26˚C. this takes 2 hours.
Latex gloves are ideal for transferring it to the hot Dutch oven. I use one end of the towel to flip the dough onto my hand and then slide my other hand under it and lift it over the pot. I set it as close to the bottom of the pot as I can without risking burning my hands and then drop it in the rest of the way.
I got the most marvelously thin and crisp crust by baking at 450˚F./230˚C for 20 minutes lid on, 10 minutes lid off, transferred to a baking sheet and 10 minutes more. Then 5 minutes oven propped ajar a few inches, then 5 minutes oven off and door open.
Now back to my new cake book manuscript!
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Comments
ross, slashing the bread is a great idea though surely not easy as it is SOOO wet!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 17, 2008 11:17 AM #
Important additional note: I remove the Romertopf cover after 15-20 minutes of baking at maximum temperature, and lower to 400F until the desired internal temp is reached.
Reply to this Posted by: Dave | April 2, 2008 4:00 PM #
I'm a mere dilettante at baking (and new to this forum!), but have had good luck making no-knead bread variations in a Romertopf clay pot, unsoaked and preheated in the oven to maximum temperature. Most recently, I've based my ingredients on the Cook's Illustrated recipe and used their idea of parchment paper for lowering the dough into the preheated pot. Thanks to Ross' suggestion, I'll try brown paper instead of parchment.
Reply to this Posted by: Dave | April 2, 2008 3:56 PM #
Ross, EXCELLENT tip, the brown paper should be such a saver rather than using the more expensive and less environmental friendly parchment.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | April 2, 2008 1:11 PM #
Rose,
I found a simple solution to the "burned bottom" issue that has troubled people. I simply place a couple thicknesses of brown grocery bag paper in the bottom of my Dutch Oven and the bottom gets crusty, but not burned.
Also, a good 1" deep slash across the top of the dough prior to baking, vents a good deal of the excess moisture that has made my crumb too wet in the past.
Reply to this Posted by: Ross | April 2, 2008 7:14 AM #
This is my No Knead Sourdough Bread #2
The oven spring was nice, and I am pretty happy with the texture! The taste as usual was great.
The recipe is basically: on a bowl, place 297 grams of water. With your fingers, break into small pieces 255 grams of stiff starter and add it on the water; stir lightly, things will look separated. After 12 hours (overnight), covered, the starter will have expanded looking almost fully incorporated in the water. Add 298 grams of bread flour and 10 grams of salt, stir lightly. Cover and let rise 10 hours. Gently scrape the dough on a 6 qt well heated Dutch oven. 10 minutes covered, the rest uncovered.
The bread was incredibly similar to my Basic Sourdough Bread, sometimes I wonder if there is a need to knead!
http://www.hectorwong.com/roselevy/NoKneadSourdoughBread2.html
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | April 2, 2008 3:07 AM #
A few new no-knead recipes I've come across lately. I thought some of you might be interested:
Whole Wheat, Rye and Pumpernickel from Rebecca's Pocket
From Tartelette, no-knead brioche with Pink Almond Praline.
I haven't tried these yet but if you do, I'd love to hear how they turn out!
Kyla
Reply to this Posted by: Kyla | March 25, 2008 3:46 PM #
For a baking stone I went to a store that sells Mexican tiles. I bought a 15 inch square unglazed saltillo tile, and it works fine. It has cracked in two pieces which I simply lay together with no change in performance.
When I do a double recipe of sour rye or pumpernickel I do the last rize in the unheated DO, preheat the oven and put the DO uncovered on the hot stone (tile). This gives me a great oven spring, without a dark bottom and no crinkles.
Reply to this Posted by: Harold | March 4, 2008 11:10 PM #
How about just using a stone with sides? Pampered Chef sells stones like that... some have deep sides (bowl shaped).
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | March 4, 2008 4:46 PM #
One of the concerns on baking all the way in a cast iron Dutch oven is that the bottom of the bread can get too dark and that the bread can remain too wet since the cast iron doesn't absorb moisture as baking on a stone would.
One idea: if we fit the inside bottom of the Dutch oven with a baking stone, wouldn't this solve the problems?
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | March 4, 2008 3:01 PM #
Peter, Rose. I've tried the parchment lift and bake on, it works and it didn't come out crinkly.
I used a 5 qt dutch oven (rather large). And when I was doing the final rise, I did it on parchment on a baking sheet and not on a skillet.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | February 4, 2008 7:35 PM #
seems to me that the sides of the bread would get all pleated or crinkly from the parchment no?
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 4, 2008 6:03 PM #
Re. No-Knead Bread: your readers should know that the January/February 2008 issue of Cook's Illustrated had an article by J. Kenji Alt that introduced some interesting variants. I thought the best advice was to transfer the shaped dough "seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap" for final 2-hour rise. The good part is that you lift the edges of the 18" parchment paper, with the bread, and lower it into your preheated pot. This preserves the shape perfectly, and was the final detail I needed for my breads.
Reply to this Posted by: Peter Nagourney | February 4, 2008 4:47 PM #
things like caraway make the bread rise a little faster as the yeast likes it! cardamom might do this to so watch the timing on the first rise.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 4, 2008 10:18 AM #
Adding a few extra ingredients never hurt a good bread. I think you can put everything in the original batter. Try it once, then you'll know for sure.
Reply to this Posted by: Anonymous | February 4, 2008 10:07 AM #
I want to make the no knead bread into a Xmas bread. Can I add the almond flavoring and the cardamon to the batter when first mixing it. I have added the nuts, raisens, etc before the 2 hr. resting. Trying to use the basic of my Mom's Xmas bread. I am 85 and this is so easy for me.
Reply to this Posted by: Bette St.Vrain | February 4, 2008 10:02 AM #
I feel for you as we keep our house quite cool, as well.
This is what I do for overnight rising. I preheat my electric oven for about 20-30 seconds. This takes the chill off. Then I place the spong in, sprayed with Pam and covered with plastic wrap. To keep the oven warm I leave the oven light on. Fortunately I have a switch for doing this. Of course, leaving the oven door cracked to keep the light on would not work. If you need additional heat you might consider connecting a 3 watt night light onto the end of an extension cord and putting that in the oven as well. Keep it as far away from the sponge as you can so a spot doesn't overheat. I also place a digital thermometer in the oven to monitor the temperature. You don't want the temp to get too high, or too cool.
Reply to this Posted by: Baker Bob | November 19, 2007 12:23 PM #
check over the frig for temp. or boiler room.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | November 19, 2007 12:22 PM #
Janet: Plug in a heating pad, adjust it to "low", then put it under the bowl on your counter. If "low" isn't warm enough, turn it up higher.....just don't give up!!!
Reply to this Posted by: George The Philochefer | November 19, 2007 12:11 PM #
I tried NK the other day end ended up exhausted and in
tears. Our (Wisconsin) house is about 60 degress--lower
during the night. I kept trying to lightly warm the oven
most of the night and with pots of boiling water. The sponge
finally grew bubbly, but that day, in the warmer kitchen,
it never rose. After another 10 hours i threw the flat pancake away. sob
How do people find an area warm enough to rise dough
for 18 hours???????
Thank you for any help.
Reply to this Posted by: Janet Moench | November 19, 2007 11:52 AM #
Kyla, do a search on this blog for Hector's panettone, there is a picture!
Reply to this Posted by: Anonymous | September 15, 2007 11:06 PM #
Ohh, panettone. I want to be your friend, Hector! :-)
Reply to this Posted by: Kyla | September 15, 2007 7:00 PM #
For all of you with spongy texture breads, please try this, as I think it makes a difference. When making Basic Sourdough Bread on a dutch oven, right after you drop the dough into the dutch oven use a pair of scissors and slash an X on the dough about 4 inches wide and 1 inch deep. When the lid is removed, the X will look like a 1/8 inch indentation. Towards the last 10 minutes of baking, this X will pop up into a 2 inch volcano crater, it looks funny like a nipple, but I believe it works as a moisture vent.
There was a second factor involved, I added 2 tb of salted butter and 1 tb of orange peel before the final dough rise (shaping), and kneaded at speed 4 for near 15 minutes when something I didn't expect occurred: the dough turned from a wet mass into a shapely dough ball that would detach easily from the mixer's bowl. I lowered the speed to 2 as the dough ball became firmer. The dough was refrigerated overnight prior to this final mix/rise.
There is only one way to prove the theory of slashing the dough in the dutch oven, and that is to keep baking and baking! I yet need to find an ocassion like christmas where I can bake so much of one bread and give away, panettone that is. And indeed, last christmas I broke the gears on my 6 qt mixer!
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | September 15, 2007 11:24 AM #
Refrigeration is a great way, it is very practical to fit your schedule.
Bread fermentation is best done at cool temperature (lower than a warm kitchen), so by using your refrigerator for a few hours, you achieve this! Slow/cool fermentation adds more flavor.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | August 23, 2007 1:59 AM #
More on the no-knead method. Since I bake this so often, is was inevitable I'd hit a snag. I had to go out one day right after I had shaped it, and would have had no time to properly preheat the oven. So I stashed it in the fridge for about an hour, I think. I then let it sit out about two or three hours at warm room temperature. What a great thing! The holes were great, the loaf was nice and high, the texture and flavor wonderful...has anyone else tried refrigerating the shaped loaf with success? I may start my bread 24 hours in advance from now on--18 hours to ferment, one-two hours in the fridge, two-three to rise, and one to bake.
Also, whoever mentioned pricking holes halfway through to relieve the doughy center, you're brilliant, that works beautifully. I always thought my loaves were underdone at 205 degrees.
Reply to this Posted by: AS | August 22, 2007 5:59 PM #
if it doesn't spread more than 5 inches THATS a shape. if it's pale it sounds like your oven isn't hot enough. i know it's very humid where you live that's why i'm suggesting you add more flour.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | August 21, 2007 6:27 AM #
In addition to the wet and gummy problem, my bread comes out pale flaxen color instead of the rich golden color in the pictures of your bread. Why do you think that is the case? Your instructions say to do 2 business folds to the dough after the 18 hour fermentation, to make it into a ball shape and rest it for 2 more hours. But the dough I have would never be made into a ball shape - it just doesn't hold any shape, although it may not necessarily spread more than 5 inches. Can you think of anything that might be wrong with the flour? The climate here is very very wet, and things don't get dry easily. I wonder if it's possible that the flour has some water content? Thanks.
Reply to this Posted by: Shuang | August 20, 2007 8:27 PM #
the protein level is fine but there are other factors in flour that affect the behavior of the dough. it's normal for it to spread out after folding but not more than 5 inches. if it spreads more you will need to add more flour.
many ppl complain about gummyness or wetness and one thing that helps is to poke holes in the bottom of the loaf, set it on the oven rack and leave it in the oven, turned off, with the door open for about 15 minutes. but it's the high ratio of water to flour that creates the huge holes.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | August 20, 2007 4:28 PM #
For some reason, the bread is not coming out the way it is supposed to. I am suspecting the type of flour they have in this part of the world. Although I know the dough is supposed to be quite wet and goopy, mine is especially so, so that after the 18 hours of fermentation and I try to fold it into a ball, it won't stay in that shape - it will spread out. After baking, it's quite wet and gummy in the middle although the holes are nice and big. The contents of plain flour says: 13.1% protein, 1.6% total fat, 69.6% carbohydrate, 3.8% dietary fiber, 6% sodium. Can you tell if there is something wrong with this? Thanks.
Reply to this Posted by: Shuang | August 19, 2007 8:56 AM #
harold i haven't tried it with rye etc. but i think the answer is yes.
biga or starter by its very nature has to be made ahead.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | August 18, 2007 11:16 AM #
Dear Anonymous, you won't need to spray during the 1st 10 minutes of baking when using the dutch oven with the lid on. The steam from the bread itself will accumulate inside the pot, and that is all it would need, or even less!
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | August 18, 2007 3:41 AM #
I only have a very ordinary oven - no steam oven. If I use a cast iron dutch oven with a lid on to bake this bread, do I still need to spray several times in the 1st 10 minutes of the baking? It seems to me if the lid is on, the steam cannot get to the bread. How do I resolve this difficulty? Thanks.
Reply to this Posted by: Anonymous | August 18, 2007 2:08 AM #
Rose,
In the stretch method, does the 45 minute rest periods, and the 3 folds apply to other breads such as rye and pumpernickel? Also, I would assume that the biga or starter, if using, should be mede in advance and then add the rest of the ingredients. Is that right?
Reply to this Posted by: Harold | August 17, 2007 4:30 PM #
chris, when bread dough rises it's as if it were exercising. in the no knead method the exercise is less strenuous so it develops less gluten. in the stretch method it is also more gentle than machine or hand kneading but a very effective way to develop gluten without risking breaking it down as you might in the machine mmethod. but either of these two methods will have similar gluten develop depending on the extent of manipulation.
the benefit that the stretching method is said to have, according to artisan bakers, is that it gets less oxygenated than in a machine and the color of the bread is less bleached which is said to improve flavor as well.
all roads lead.....
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | August 15, 2007 8:30 AM #
Shuang, you preheat the lid, too. So leave it on. You can either leave the lid on the pot or on the side or on the pot cracked open. Just be aware that if you leave the lid on the pot, after 45 minutes of preheating, when you open the lid, a lot of accumulated smoke will come out. Don't be scared, it is ok.
A while ago, Rose posted a picture of cooking a meal while preheating the dutch oven. You place the lid upside down, and on it you can stir fry something!
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | August 15, 2007 3:08 AM #
One small detail: when you preheat the dutch oven for 45 minutes, do you heat it with the lid on or leave it out?
Reply to this Posted by: Shuang | August 14, 2007 10:53 PM #
Hello Rose
Thank you for your thorough baking explanations both on line and in print. I've been a passionate but novice bread baker for a while now, and I have come across an interesting kneading method and I was hoping you could explain how it works! It's called the "stretch and fold" method (demonstrated at this website www.sourdoughhome.com/stretchandfold.html). Basically the dough is roughly mixed together (like the no knead method) and allowed to sit for 45 minutes. Then the dough is dumped onto a surface, gently stretched with a bench scraper until it is about 1/3rd its original height, then letter folded, given a quarter turn, and letter folded again. The dough is returned to its rising bowl and allowed to sit again for 45 minutes. This stretch-fold-rest is repeated for a total of 3 times, then the loaf is shaped and baked in a more traditional method. They say this works for all types of bread doughs from sourdough to whole grain to white. I haven't tried it yet myself...
My question is this: Given enough time, will gluten develop spontaneously when flour water yeast and salt are mixed together and allowed to rest? I was under the impression that for proper bread rising and texture, the gluten in the flour must be "developed" into an elastic, CO2-holding protein by physically kneading the bread. How is the gluten "developed" in the no knead method (no kneading/long resting) and in the stretch and fold method (low-kneading/moderate resting)?
I hope you can shed some light on this for me, a fellow UVM alumna! Thanks for the effort you put into this blog and your books!
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