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Baby Bread--A Great New Technique
Friday night UPS delivered my new little Lodge cast iron 2 quart Dutch oven and within minutes I mixed a half recipe of the no-knead bread and set it to ferment for it’s 18 hour visit in the 70ºF/21ºC bedroom.
This is the way I’ll do it from now on as with just two of us and the limited shelf life of the bread it’s the perfect amount for dinner and the next day. It was so delicious I ended up making an open-faced butter and grated chocolate dessert after dinner!
The preseasoned pot is so adorable and so easy to lift in and out of the oven I’m going to use it for all sorts of other things as well. I happen to adore cast iron and have a sizable collection of odd shapes and frying pans of all sizes. I even have my grandmother’s which is about 100 years old!
Here’s the recipe for the little loaf as I did it:
TIME REQUIRED:
Minimum Rising Time: About 20 hours (TIMING based on room temp 80°F.)
Total Baking Time: 1 hour preheat, 40 minutes baking
Oven Temperature: 450°F.
Makes: 6 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches high round loaf
INGREDIENTS |
MEASUREMENTS |
WEIGHT |
|
|
volume |
ounces |
grams |
Harvest King flour (or half unbleached all- |
1 1/2 cups |
8.25 ounces |
234 grams |
instant yeast |
1/8 teaspoons |
. |
0.4 grams |
fine sea salt |
1/2 plus 1/3 teaspoon |
|
5 grams |
water, room temperature (70 to 80°F.) |
3/4 cup plus one tablespoon |
6.7 ounces |
191 grams |
Technique for mixing is the same as for the big No-Knead—Whisk together the flour and yeast and when the yeast is mixed in THEN whisk in the salt.
With fingers or a spatula stir in the water just until all the flour is moistened.
Cover tightly and set in a 70º/21ºC. room for about 18 hours. It will have risen by more than double and be filled with little bubbles.
Here comes the fun and new part:
With oiled spatula, scrape it out onto a floured silpat and with floured fingers and bench scraper quickly and loosely fold it in thirds first in one direction, then in the other.
Re-flour the silpat and set the dough seam-side-down on top. It will be 5”x 2”high. Flour the top, cover it with a plastic dome or bowl , and let it rise in an 80ºF/26ºC. room for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until it is 7" wide. and still 2” high.
While the dough is rising, preheat the oven and pot (with lid) for a minimum of 1 hour at 450ºF/230º/C.
Remove the pot from the oven. Sift a little flour evenly over the top of the dough and brush off any excess flour from the silpat. Now lift up the silpat and invert it over the hot pot. Unless you used a ton of flour the dough will be sticking slightly to the silpat which is perfect because all you have to do is curve the two edges of it and hold them together with one hand and gently push the dough away from it with the other.
What I love about this method is that your hands get nowhere near the very hot pot but the bread does. And where the bread tears slightly at the top, where it had stuck onto the silpat, it creates an interesting design.
I have an oven stone in my oven so I set the pot with the bread on top (covered with the lid of course) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes or until the top is the color you want it to be, rotating it if it is browning unevenly. Even with the hot oven stone the bottom didn’t burn. I think it was the bran that caused it to get too brown in my last 10 larger loaves.
Empty the loaf onto a rack to cool completely.It will be 6 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches high.
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Thank you for taking the time to answer my question Rose. Since the bread re-heats well b/c of the moist crumb, I think I'll stick with it.
Reply to this Posted by: Rozanne | September 2, 2008 9:07 AM #
so happy for your success.
the moist crumb seems to be the nature of the bread but people have offered several suggestions that might help such as leaving it in a turned off oven or making holes with a skewer before the last 10 minutes of so of baking. check all the postings--it's a very long one but you'll get lots of ideas. also the bread reheats really well in slices, partly because of it's extra moisture.
Reply to this Posted by: rose levy beranbaum | September 1, 2008 9:35 PM #
I made the no knead bread for the first time today. The crust was to die for. The finished height was about 2 1/2". I made the above recipe but doubled it b/c I baked it in a 5qt Lodge cast iron dutch oven. The bread tasted amazing. Thank you Rose!!!! I encountered one problem though. The inside was a bit too moist / gummy. I am new to bread baking and was wondering what I could do to prevent this. If I bake it longer the crust might get over done. Can I cover it with foil to prevent this or will it affect the crispiness of the crust? It had holes like the picture above. I used Gold Medal Better for Bread Flour - the reason I made the bread in the first place. I was so excited when I got it that I just HAD to bake bread. I did a search on the site but couldn't find a solution. I hope I didn't miss it. If I did I'm sorry. Hopefully someone can answer my question.
Reply to this Posted by: Rozanne | September 1, 2008 8:51 PM #
very kind of you!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | November 1, 2007 8:29 AM #
Hi Rose,
Just a quick note to thank you for answering my question so soon after your return. I'm well aware you have tons of posts to respond to, and it's not an easy task to tackle them when you still must have a jet lag.
I live in Japan, so I don't have access to harvest king, but will keep experimenting with different type of bread flour.
Thanks once again!
Reply to this Posted by: Carmah | November 1, 2007 3:07 AM #
it probably is a combination of things--the size of the container and also the type of flour. try the harvest king which is more extensible than bread flour and will give a higher rise.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | October 31, 2007 4:33 PM #
Dear Rose,
Thank you for taking time to create this informative site. I've made NK Bread countless times since you introduced it on your site, but I am not gettig consistent results; i.e. the height of the bread. Often times it just does not rise like the ones I see here, and I cannot figure out why.
For example, I tried this half portion yesterday, but after the second rise, it spread more than it has risen, and the final product was only 2 inches tall looking like an UFO.
The crumb and the crust I have no complaints, but whether I make it in full portion of half, mine are never as tall as yours.
I use bread flour and bake them in a oven-safe glassware (with lid). Is it the size of the glassware vs. the amount of dough? Any suggestions or pointers would be greatly appreciated.
Reply to this Posted by: Carmah | October 22, 2007 11:11 PM #
lodge has a great website with reseasoning instructions. i've done it and it works. if it really is rust you need to scour it out before adding the oil. and once all the oil is burned off it won't smoke again.
i've never had it deseason when used only for the bread though. also the bread has never stuck.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | October 1, 2007 4:37 PM #
any tips on what to do when my (pre-seasoned) Lodge cast iron dutch oven starts to rust inside? I tried seasoning it a bit and then it just smoked when I put it in the oven to pre-heat for the bread?? This is after about 6 months of making the no-knead variation type bread.
Reply to this Posted by: susaninfrance | October 1, 2007 3:02 PM #
ps -- too much flour on top, not in the dough...
Reply to this Posted by: Angela | September 28, 2007 5:24 PM #
Rose --
I've had your bread bible for a few years now and love it, I've learned how to make many a loaf from those pages.
I just finished my first no knead from this recipe, with a brand new painted "Outset" brand cast iron dutch oven -- and it turned out beautifully! Although with my fear of sticky dough, I think I used a bit too much flour.
Anyway, I'm so excited I just hope it tastes as good as it looks.
Thanks!
-- angela
Reply to this Posted by: Angela | September 28, 2007 5:23 PM #
I made 3 hr french bread but adapted the NK technique of using covered pot. It turned out perfect! I have oval Le Creuset dutch oven and a stoneware covered baker. Both yielded a perfect loaf! I did have to knead the bread, but if you only have 3 hours you can still make bread with that nice, thin, crispy crust. Recipe at www.steamykitchen.com
Reply to this Posted by: Steamy Kitchen | April 18, 2007 8:08 PM #
Hi Rose, I would like to know more
about "Biga". For example, if it rises
and then collapses can it still be used.
(I have used it after collapse and it
did make a good Ciabatta). Should all
Bigas not show collapse for best results?
Reply to this Posted by: Paul R. Mosso | April 10, 2007 10:15 AM #
jaon definitely increases flavor to add dough from one bread to the next batch.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 29, 2007 10:05 PM #
suzan, carol field has a wonderful bread book "the italian baker." i think there's a good chance you will be able to match your bread memory using one of her recipes.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 29, 2007 9:55 PM #
I couldn’t resist: I must be obsessed. I just started my first batch of Baby Bread! Before I grew my sourdough starter, I was making only N-K Bread. When I remembered, I would take out about 80g. of the dough before I shaped. When I remembered, I would use that dough in my next batch. Do you think that would add significantly to the flavor? I love the idea of smaller loaves: twice the aroma of baking—almost as good as the eating!
Reply to this Posted by: joan | March 21, 2007 2:32 PM #
How did I miss this thread? I can't wait to try the Baby Bread. I've got that Lodge pot!
Is a Silpat the same as a Silpain liner?
Reply to this Posted by: joan | March 21, 2007 12:22 PM #
I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE ITALIAN BREAD LIKE I USED TO GET IN PITTSBURGH'S STRIP DISTRICT (MANCINI'S, ETC...)WITH NO LUCK...SOME KIND PERSON GAVE ME YOUR' WEBSITE IN THE HOPE OF FINDING THE PERFECT LIGHTWEIGHT CRUSTY ITALIAN BREAD RECIPE. I AM NOW IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY N-O GOOD ITALIAN BAKERIES OR PIZZA SHOPS HERE. I GUESS I WILL HAVE TO MAKE MY OWN!
THANKS FOR ANY HINTS OR SUGGESTIONS...SUZANNAHA
Reply to this Posted by: SUZAN WHITE | March 21, 2007 10:55 AM #
Re: Gummy Inside of NKB
Hi!
Although I consider myself an experienced sweets baker, I was a bread baking virgin until I tried the NKB recipe. I, too, found a nice crust and a somewhat gummy interior, even after patiently waiting to cut it. I was considering lengthening the covered baking time, but decided to try something else first. I put my pot with the lid next to it, not on it, inside the pre-heated oven for its 30 minutes, to make sure the inside of the pot was exposed to nice heat circulation. Well, it must have worked, 'cause I finally got a nicely risen good textured loaf.
Hope this helps someone!
Reply to this Posted by: Leslie | February 6, 2007 7:22 PM #
are the holes really as LARGE with the durum? that surprises me! but maybe it's worth it for the marvelous flavor durum provides.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 5, 2007 9:16 AM #
My Le Creuset Deep Skillet worked great! It was the perfect size and the best part was that I already had it. In researching it on the web, I discovered it (and the rest of my LeCreuset) is considered "vintage". I keep telling myself I was very young when I bought it!
I substituted 1/2 cup of flour with 1/2 cup of durham flour and got a little more depth of flavor. The initial rise was 18-19 hours. Next time I will try a little longer. It didn't seem as bubbly as before with all bread flour but baked it was a nice texture with lots of holes.
Rose, we had the bread with Gulash soup -- wonderful!
Reply to this Posted by: Holly | February 4, 2007 11:32 PM #
stephen--that sounds terrific though how you cut that wet dough is beyond me! if it's a digital photo you can just send it to the e-mail address and i'll have my blog master post it!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 4, 2007 5:12 PM #
HI: read last post and jealous. I have done about 10 loaves and still can't get
the 3 1/2 in height. Mine tastes fine but only 1.5 to 2 inches high. Anyones suggestions would be helpful. Allen
Reply to this Posted by: allen | February 4, 2007 5:04 PM #
holly--that would be just fine (but not over 450 degrees please).
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 4, 2007 5:00 PM #
Hi Rose.
I think I'm on batch number 20 of NK bread. This time I did something a bit different that you might want to share with your readers. After the initial 20 hr rise, I cut the dough into six pieces (I originally had the thought that I would make mini-loaves or even rolls.) However, when baking time came around, I could not find my extra dutch oven, to make the bread in two separate pans. As a result, I used a single 4 qt. LeCreuset chicken roaster (as I usually do.)
I placed the five rolls around the perimeter and one roll in the middle and gave the pan a little shake. Then I baked as directed. The resulting loaf of bread is gorgeous. It looks like something from an artisinal bakery. If you tell me how, I will send you a photo.
Thanks for your help. Your insight on the NK bread has been terrific.
Stephen
Reply to this Posted by: Stephen | February 4, 2007 2:32 PM #
What do you all think about baking the baby bread in a Le Creuset Deep Dish Skillet (enamel/cast iron). Its diameter is 7 1/2" and it is 3" deep with a raised lid that adds about another 3/4". The inside is a black satin enamel. I've had it about 30 years and can count the times I've used it on one hand so I would like be able to get some return on my investment after all these years! Will the black interior have a positive or negative effect?
With this loaf I'm substituting a 1/2 cup of bread flour with a 1/2 cup of durham flour.
Reply to this Posted by: Holly | February 3, 2007 11:58 PM #
I have used up to 1/2 cup of Hodgson Organic Rye Flour. The results are excellent. We prefer 1/3 cup. I have also added "Ten Grain" and "Harvest Grain" mix from King Arthur Flour..about 1/3 cup...very yummy. You may have to adjust the water just a bit.
Reply to this Posted by: marbarre | February 2, 2007 8:05 PM #
I've had great success with a whole wheat version of NK, but have failed miserably with all my attempts to do this with any percentage of rye flour. Has anyone used this method with rye, or is it just not suited? I was really hoping to fix my light rye habit with a easy to deal with dough like this.
Reply to this Posted by: Cindy in SF | February 2, 2007 4:50 PM #
the boxes are just storage boxes large enough to invert over a rising bread. they come in all sizes. stores like hold everything also have them and the container store or if there's a plastics store in our town.
re the bread, i would divide it just before shaping and then refrigerate the half you want to bake the following day.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 2, 2007 1:44 PM #
Rose,
You have created a monster - and it's all your fault! :-)
The only bread I will eat now is fresh home baked, oven warm bread! I have a half loaf of no-knead that's a day old and all I want to do with it is make toast or French toast with it! I only want to eat my utterly fresh, right out-of-the oven bread!
This technique has obviously brought a lot of people (like me) into bread making, and that's great.
Question: Because I like fresh-baked, I tried the half loaf and it was great, but it's virtually the same amount of work, mess and hassle as a full loaf. So here's my question: Could I make the full recipe and at some point, cut the dough in half, bake half and stash the other half in the fridge for a day or so to bake later? If this is workable, at what point in the process should I split it? I'v been doing a 5 hour rise, overnight in the fridge, about 5 hours more the next morning and then moving to the second rise. Any advice?
A while ago you mentioned some plastic boxes for proofing that you got (I think at BB&B). Could you say more about those? I haven't located them yet.
Reply to this Posted by: Ross | February 1, 2007 1:48 PM #
I've updated my breadmaking page with new pictures of my second attempt - fresh from the oven and after cutting. Sorry the cutting photo is blurry - I have the camera set on auto and I'm not sure how to get it to focus on the object itself and not on the background when i have flash turned off, etc. Camera manual is one big PDF and I hate reading large PDF files.
Reply to this Posted by: Lola Lee Beno | January 31, 2007 8:59 AM #
I have done the NK bread twice. The first time I was not too happy with it but I think it was the oven temperature. I did it in a cast iron Dutch Oven and the bread's crust got very overdone after the lid was removed. And yes, I did decrease the temperature in the oven. The 2nd one I made was a smaller loaf in a Pampered Chef stoneware bowl and cake pan that worked very much like a junior La Cloche.
With both of these I used a sourdough starter as the leavening agent. On the Breadtopia site there is an adaption that uses 1/4 cup of liquid starter as the base. You mix it with 1 1/4 cup of water and add that to your flour and proceed with the usual method of making the bread. With the long rising period you definately get a sourdough flavor to the bread. I do recommend this method of leavening this bread, makes a great loaf with little effort.
Reply to this Posted by: Rena McClain | January 31, 2007 1:15 AM #
Yes - I just mixed the ingredients together until it was all moist and blended. Right now the dough is resting after having been folded and shaped. Going to pop it in the oven in a couple hours or so . . .
Reply to this Posted by: Lola Lee Beno | January 30, 2007 1:41 PM #
Lola, your second attempt hasa really good looking crumb. Did you mix the dough the same way in which the no knead is mixed i.e. minimally?
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 30, 2007 1:19 PM #
I have used the same recipe but it seems I did not wait enough at the second rising so it did not end well. But with 1 cup of starter and maybe a little more attention I, the rookie, may reach a conclusion.
Reply to this Posted by: sertac | January 30, 2007 12:43 PM #
Okay . . . I've taken pictures of my first attempt and second attempt (still at dough stage). Second attempt dough was put into glass bowl to rise at 6pm and moved upstairs to the guest bedroom, where temperature is more consistent and slightly warmer than in the kitchen.
My Sourdough NK Bread Experiment
Reply to this Posted by: Lola Lee Beno | January 30, 2007 9:06 AM #
mare--that's the one--the bread can rise higher bc the lid is curved giving it extra height.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 29, 2007 2:32 PM #
Rose, I tried your baby bread with Harvest King flour, and the proportions are perfect. The bottom burned a little in a Corningware casserole, so I want to get the 2-qt Lodge dutch oven. Do you know what model number it is? The only one I can find is 2+7/8" deep, which doesn't sound deep enough..
Reply to this Posted by: Mare | January 29, 2007 2:29 PM #