No Knead Bread

username_taken · 20th November 2008, 8:48 PM

No Knead Bread - basic recipe

I've been reading about this no knead bread phenomena that's been flying around the internets tubes for some months now, and have remained skeptical about it. I mean, it's too easy right? How can real bread be made without beating the crap out of it to develop the gluten? it's crazy talk!

Earlier in the week I promised a collegue that I'd teach him how to make pizza from scratch, and was thinking about the logistics and mess behind making pizza dough at work. I was about to tell him to forget it when I remembered about the no knead method.

After making it, I'm a total convert. I think it will be a rare occurance from now on for me not to have some dough in the fridge ready to bake bread at any time. I can't wait to try out all different types of bread to see how versatile it really is.

No Knead Bread - basic recipe

6 1/2 cups of all purpose flour ( the skeptic in me made me use bread flour )
1.5 TB salt
1.5 TB yeast ( I used 2Tb, but that's just how I roll )
3 tsp sugar
3 cups of tepid water

Put the salt, yeast and sugar into a large mixing bowl ( I used a big salad bowl ) give it a quick mix to combine then add the flour and mix again.

Pour in the water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is evenly moist throughout. It will be quite sticky.

Cover the bowl with a teatowel and put in a dark warm place for a few hours. Then cover with plastic wrap and put the bowl into the fridge for at least two days, and up to two weeks. The bread flavours mature and start to develop sourdough characteristics the longer it's left.

To make a simple loaf of bread simply remove about a quarter of the dough and flour it and your hands well as it will be quite sticky. Holding the dough in your hands, slowly fold the edges underneath itself being careful not to knock out the air stored inside.

Sprinkle some polenta on a sheet of greaseproof paper and put the dough on top. Leave it to rest and preheat your oven to 180 C, preferably with a pizza stone on the top shelf and a pan of water on the bottom. I didn't have any paper, so I used a thin aluminium pan.

When the dough is at room temperature put it in the oven for about 20 minutes.

username_taken · 20th November 2008, 8:49 PM

Here's a good use for the no knead bread dough, simply remove a chunk of the dough from the fridge, flour it, and roll it flat.

Fill it with pizza toppings such as Chorizo, Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Basil, Mozerella, Capsicum.

fold the dough over and seal the edges, put a sprig of basil on top and drizzle with olive oil. Transfer to a sheet of baking paper with polenta sprinkled on it, and then bake at 200 C for about 20minutes on a pizza stone.

Mooncat · 22nd November 2008, 10:39 AM

Heh, that's what I would call damper! Best served with sweet black tea and a little butter on the damper.

Nice thing to do with it also is put in some precooked mashed pumpkin or sweet potato.

username_taken · 22nd November 2008, 4:13 PM

no, it's completely different to damper. It's bread.

Sunset · 22nd November 2008, 4:55 PM

I don't understand.
Is it dense and/or tough?

scrantic · 22nd November 2008, 7:35 PM

Damper wouldn't have the yeast in it...

username_taken · 22nd November 2008, 9:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset

I don't understand.
Is it dense and/or tough?

No, neither of those things, it's exactly like normal bread. It's as good a bread as I've ever had out of a bread maker.

aussierob · 22nd November 2008, 9:56 PM

what's "all purpose flour" ... is that "self raising flour"?

Rational · 22nd November 2008, 10:00 PM

I am going to make this tomorrow. Looks very interesting.

Amfibius · 22nd November 2008, 10:15 PM

Thanks for the recipe UT, will come in handy i'm sure! I'll make some later this week.

username_taken · 23rd November 2008, 9:04 PM

I made Chilli Con Carne today, and baked a loaf of the no knead bread. This was the result, you can clearly see the proper bread structure.

n2o_spark · 23rd November 2008, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by username_taken

No, neither of those things, it's exactly like normal bread. It's as good a bread as I've ever had out of a bread maker.

it's probably relying on a technique/process called autodigestion.

in-fact strangely enough i was just watching yakitate japan ( an anime about bread making pretty much ) and this technique was used to make bread using a flour made from a very fibrous type of wheat . When using said flour, gluten doesn't form very easily and as such you'd have to knead it a shit load to make it work ( kneading it is also very difficult too ). so they put it in the fridge for 3 days for the dough to ferment.

using said technique needed for no knead bread, they got the dough to work.
anime can be so random, and so life

oh and i'll have to try this some time.... looks tasty

zeegermans · 24th November 2008, 12:04 AM

gluten is going to be formed anyway once its mixed (with the right flour) just stretching it using a bread mixer is going to develop it a lot quicker. You can get it down from 2 weeks to 4-6 minutes using a small mixer and a hook attachment. You could probably add some gluten to it might make it a tad faster.

gregpolk · 24th November 2008, 10:37 AM

Looks like a very nice calzone, might make some later. I'm curious though, how long can you leave the dough in the fridge for? If I make a huge batch today, when would I have to throw out any that's left over?

lench · 24th November 2008, 10:50 AM

looks very tasty but it looks like it would take too long to make
might give it a try before christmas (when i might have a chance of fitting it in the fridge)

20th November 2008, 8:48 PM	#1
username_taken Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,293	No Knead Bread No Knead Bread - basic recipe I've been reading about this no knead bread phenomena that's been flying around the internets tubes for some months now, and have remained skeptical about it. I mean, it's too easy right? How can real bread be made without beating the crap out of it to develop the gluten? it's crazy talk! Earlier in the week I promised a collegue that I'd teach him how to make pizza from scratch, and was thinking about the logistics and mess behind making pizza dough at work. I was about to tell him to forget it when I remembered about the no knead method. After making it, I'm a total convert. I think it will be a rare occurance from now on for me not to have some dough in the fridge ready to bake bread at any time. I can't wait to try out all different types of bread to see how versatile it really is. No Knead Bread - basic recipe 6 1/2 cups of all purpose flour ( the skeptic in me made me use bread flour ) 1.5 TB salt 1.5 TB yeast ( I used 2Tb, but that's just how I roll ) 3 tsp sugar 3 cups of tepid water Put the salt, yeast and sugar into a large mixing bowl ( I used a big salad bowl ) give it a quick mix to combine then add the flour and mix again. Pour in the water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is evenly moist throughout. It will be quite sticky. Cover the bowl with a teatowel and put in a dark warm place for a few hours. Then cover with plastic wrap and put the bowl into the fridge for at least two days, and up to two weeks. The bread flavours mature and start to develop sourdough characteristics the longer it's left. To make a simple loaf of bread simply remove about a quarter of the dough and flour it and your hands well as it will be quite sticky. Holding the dough in your hands, slowly fold the edges underneath itself being careful not to knock out the air stored inside. Sprinkle some polenta on a sheet of greaseproof paper and put the dough on top. Leave it to rest and preheat your oven to 180 C, preferably with a pizza stone on the top shelf and a pan of water on the bottom. I didn't have any paper, so I used a thin aluminium pan. When the dough is at room temperature put it in the oven for about 20 minutes.

22nd November 2008, 10:39 AM	#3
Mooncat Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Sydney Posts: 77	Heh, that's what I would call damper! Best served with sweet black tea and a little butter on the damper. Nice thing to do with it also is put in some precooked mashed pumpkin or sweet potato. __________________ Check out my food blog, Hoglet K! Buying or selling a business in Australia? Sydney Business Exchange

22nd November 2008, 10:15 PM	#10
Amfibius Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Posts: 6,586	Thanks for the recipe UT, will come in handy i'm sure! I'll make some later this week. __________________ -Amfibius

20th November 2008, 8:49 PM	#2
username_taken Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,293	Here's a good use for the no knead bread dough, simply remove a chunk of the dough from the fridge, flour it, and roll it flat. Fill it with pizza toppings such as Chorizo, Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Basil, Mozerella, Capsicum. fold the dough over and seal the edges, put a sprig of basil on top and drizzle with olive oil. Transfer to a sheet of baking paper with polenta sprinkled on it, and then bake at 200 C for about 20minutes on a pizza stone.

22nd November 2008, 4:13 PM	#4
username_taken Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,293	no, it's completely different to damper. It's bread.

22nd November 2008, 4:55 PM	#5
Sunset Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Brisbane Posts: 4,669	I don't understand. Is it dense and/or tough?

22nd November 2008, 7:35 PM	#6
scrantic Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,018	Damper wouldn't have the yeast in it...

22nd November 2008, 9:56 PM	#8
aussierob Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: HTTP Error 418 Posts: 316	what's "all purpose flour" ... is that "self raising flour"?

22nd November 2008, 10:00 PM	#9
Rational Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 4,489	I am going to make this tomorrow. Looks very interesting.

23rd November 2008, 9:04 PM	#11
username_taken Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,293	I made Chilli Con Carne today, and baked a loaf of the no knead bread. This was the result, you can clearly see the proper bread structure.

24th November 2008, 12:04 AM	#13
zeegermans Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 77	gluten is going to be formed anyway once its mixed (with the right flour) just stretching it using a bread mixer is going to develop it a lot quicker. You can get it down from 2 weeks to 4-6 minutes using a small mixer and a hook attachment. You could probably add some gluten to it might make it a tad faster.

24th November 2008, 10:37 AM	#14
gregpolk Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Brisbane Posts: 6,330	Looks like a very nice calzone, might make some later. I'm curious though, how long can you leave the dough in the fridge for? If I make a huge batch today, when would I have to throw out any that's left over?

24th November 2008, 10:50 AM	#15
lench Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Sydney, Five Dock Posts: 2,003	looks very tasty but it looks like it would take too long to make might give it a try before christmas (when i might have a chance of fitting it in the fridge)