A Word to the No Kneaders!
Jul 08, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
i experimented with dough rising temperature to give more leway for baking schedule this past week. after mixing the dough for the no knead bread i set it in the wine cellar which is about 60 degrees F/15 centigrade and left it for 24 hours. the bread actually rose 1/2 inch more than usual.
my father was so impressed by this bread he said it would be the first he would try on his return to upstate n.y. but i encouraged him to do the basic hearth bread on the back of the harvest king flour bag first as i could just picture him with the wet sticky no knead dough clinging to his hands! it looks so easy and it is--but not for a beginning bread baker. and i think i understand why now that i've seen my father touch the dough, so i want to share this advice.
when working with a super sticky dough, use a light quick touch. (it's just the opposite of nettle where the advice is to grasp it firmly or it stings you. touch the dough firmly and it will stick with a vengeance!) if it still sticks to your fingers use a little flour on the dough or on your hands or both, each time it threatens to stick. alternatively, dip your fingers in water as wet dough will not stick to wet fingers. but you'll need to do this every time you touch the dough.








Ed
12/23/2007 11:14 PM
"i could just picture him with the wet sticky no knead dough clinging to his hands! it looks so easy and it is--but not for a beginning bread baker."
Worked for me.
Ed [first time bread baker...er without a bread machine]
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Rose
09/05/2007 09:34 PM
sounds like the recipe is at fault (i hope it's not one of mine!)i suspect it needs a lot more water. try 66% water based on flour being 100%.
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Sandra Bell
09/05/2007 09:10 PM
I had written in about crumbly bread. I forgot to post the type. It was regular white, kneaded bread. Dry and crumbly. I have changed flour and have a scale to weigh everything. This may be the answer. Thanks for any other ideas you might have. Sandy
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Rose
07/22/2007 04:57 PM
you still don't say what bread--there are so very many possibilities. but probably crumbly bread of any sort is due either to under development of the gluten whether it be due to low protein flour such as bleached, or southern brand all purpose, or not enough kneading or too much fat or sugar in the dough.
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Rose
07/22/2007 03:18 PM
bc the no knead bread doesn't activate the gluten as much. the flour you are using is probably not strong enough for this method. use a higher protein flour. try the gold medal harvest king--you'll love it and the flavor is wonderful too!
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Sandra Bell
07/22/2007 02:12 PM
I am having difficulty with my bread being crumbly. When I cut it, it wants to break into pieces. Why?
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Chip
07/10/2007 11:11 PM
her are some links for the no knead bread. I tried them all yesterday when I sent them to a co-worker. They all seemed to work.
Original video describing the technique from NYT now posted on youtube.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU
Original Recipe from NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?ex=1169960400&en=3dbc1302292b9445&ei=5070
Follow up article in NYT
No Kneading, but Some Fine-Tuning
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/06/dining/06mini.html ex=1323061200&en=9e235133a8a1a423&ei=5088partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
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Joyful
07/10/2007 04:15 PM
Whoops! I read it wrong. It was Linda Irwin who was looking for the no-knead bread recipe.
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Joyful
07/10/2007 04:13 PM
This is for Amy. I don't know if it's still on the web, but it was in the N.Y. Times in "The Minimalist" column by Mark Bittman and was published Nov. 8, 2006. You should be able to access it in the Times Archives. There was a video, which was helpful; maybe it's available as well.
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Ahona
07/09/2007 07:24 PM
Thanks for the tips on kneading very wet dough, I dont have a stand mixer yet, so I do all my doughs by hand!
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Linda Irwin
07/09/2007 01:36 PM
I am looking for the recipe for the no-knead bread that you bake in a cast iron dutch oven. Can anyone help me?
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Amy
07/09/2007 12:46 PM
more good news: yesterday i accidentally let it rise for 24 hours at room temp and it turned out just fine!
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Corrections: The Pie and Pastry Bible
Cherry Jam