No Knead Bread Recipe Update

[Joe Valencic]

If some of you have compared my recipe for the No Knead Bread to what is on the U-Tube video, you may have noticed that my recipe is just a little bit different than the video. Here are the differences and an explanation why I changed it:

1. Mixing the dough by hand is a sloppy mess. I did it once, cursed the method, then mixed subsequent batches using a silicon spatula which does not load up with dough, until I bought a Danish Dough Whisk from www.Breadtopia.com (this site also has a video series on no-knead breads as well as variations on what you can do with them). It's the bees knees and the cat's meow, and I'll never go back to the spatula!

2. I also changed the temperature down to 450 F from 500 F. I saw no need for temps that high, and the bread comes out perfect my way.

If you have questions just post them here and I'll answer them as soon as I get time.

Back to work...

Joe Valencic
aka: Doughgod

[CO_Flyfisher]

Never mind...

[Joe Valencic]

Never mind...

OK! Sorry I missed the question.

[DShock]

Never mind...

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/image...nnaDanna_l.jpg
Doug

[CO_Flyfisher]

Haha, funny!!!

Anyway, I tried this recipe and made a loaf last night to eat with spaghetti.

AWESOME!

I can't tell you guys how EASY this is. I made the dough the night before, then let it rise for about 20 hours. The work involved to make it was nothing, and the bread turned out GREAT!!! So easy!!!

Thanks for the recipe Joe V. I would love to see some of your others!

[CO_Flyfisher]

OK - question. I have a batch currently rising, and I wanted to try your parchment paper method this time.

After I fold the dough over, do I cover over it with parchment paper, or just leave it out in the open? (I'm guessing to cover it)

Also - I've been using a 5L corningware dish to bake my bread so far. It works just fine, but the loaf is not quite as tall as I would like. I also have a 3L corningware dish that I was thinking of trying (measures 8.5"s quare x 3.75" deep) - do you think it is big enough?

Thanks!

[Joe Valencic]

OK - question. I have a batch currently rising, and I wanted to try your parchment paper method this time.

After I fold the dough over, do I cover over it with parchment paper, or just leave it out in the open? (I'm guessing to cover it)

Also - I've been using a 5L corningware dish to bake my bread so far. It works just fine, but the loaf is not quite as tall as I would like. I also have a 3L corningware dish that I was thinking of trying (measures 8.5"s quare x 3.75" deep) - do you think it is big enough?

Thanks!

First things first...CONGRATULATIONS!! I told everyone how easy this was, so now we have someone else confirming the simplicity of this recipe. Now for the answer to your question about parchment paper.

I went to the thrift store and found some wicker baskets that were about the same size as the cooking vessels I use. You can use anything with a similar shape like a soup pot, large bowl, etc. Just something to hold the shape of the rising dough. BTW, I never spent more than $1 for any of the baskets, and here are some of them:



I take them and line the basket with parchment paper, making sure I form the paper to the shape of the basket, allowing a little extra to be able to grab the paper and drop the whole thing into the pot. I spray the parchment paper with cooking spray so that it releases easily when the bread is done. Here's what it looks like, sans the dough.



After folding the dough I place it in the lined & sprayed basket, them put the entire basket in a plastic bag for the final rise, tucking the bag handles under the basket to keep out any breeze. When the dough has risen for an hour, gently remove the basket from the bag, grab the parchment paper and place the paper and dough right into the pot, replace the cover and close the oven. Very simple. When the bread is done you can pick up the loaf by the paper and place it on the cooling rack, then remove the paper. If you used the cooking spray, it will just fall away from the loaf.

Hope this helps.

Joe

[littlebrook]

Hi Mighty Dough God,

So where does one get baking Parchment paper? Breadtopia doesn't seem to know it exists. I may order instant yeast and a nifty whisk from them but I'll not pop $40 for a baking dish! Can I use a regular old metal loaf pan? Can I make two loaves at a time?

Your posts have made me salivate while reading them. I've checked out the links you've posted and they also cause me to pant.

Where do I get parchment paper?

Thanks much.

Bill

[Joe Valencic]

Hi Mighty Dough God,

So where does one get baking Parchment paper? Breadtopia doesn't seem to know it exists. I may order instant yeast and a nifty whisk from them but I'll not pop $40 for a baking dish! Can I use a regular old metal loaf pan? Can I make two loaves at a time?

Your posts have made me salivate while reading them. I've checked out the links you've posted and they also cause me to pant.
Where do I get parchment paper?
Thanks much.

Bill

Bill,

Most grocery stores have parchment paper on a roll like waxed paper or butcher paper, but that is teh most expensive way to buy it. You can also get it from a restaurant supply, which is where I buy mine. I usually go to GFS Marketplace, which is where I also buy Instant Yeast for around $2.48 for a whole pound, instead of almost $2 for three envelopes in the grocery store. Follow the link for a store near you (there are 46 stores in Michigan). The parchment paper I buy at GFS is called Pan Liners, and is 16-3/8" x 24-3/8" for commercial baking sheet pans. I bake a lot so I just cut them to size to fit my pans which are about 1/2 the size of large commercial pans. I just bought 50 sheets in a pack for around $3.50, so when I cut them in half my cost is less than $.04 per sheet. I'll bet the stuff on a roll in the grocery store is a lot more than that, so it's worth the trip to the supply house.

If you have a Sam's Club or BJ's they would also probably have parchment paper and Instant Yeast at a better price as well.

To bake this bread you just need a covered dish that is oven safe to 450 F. Corningware casserole dishes work well, with the 5L being popular. A 5 qt or larger dutch oven is probably the best, but you can even get by with the liner from a crock pot and its lid. Just make sure about the temp rating. Here's the Corningware 5L:



Eric at Breadtopia is a really nice guy, but he's still learning a lot about the different ways this bread is being handled and addapted by the home baker, so I'm not surprised he's unaware about the paper. I've contributed some content to his site as far as recipes, so I guess I'll write up a piece for him about lining the baskets and take some pics for a step-by-step. Need to finish some other projects first. I bought the oblong baker from him and love it. OMG does it make a great loaf of bread. Oh, and about two loaves at a time, I rarely bake one loaf at a time. When your oven is cool, see which vessels will fit in the oven, keeping in mind you need some air circulation space around each pot, then use those two vessels for baking. It's also more efficient and uses less energy. Here's an oblong and round loaf made at the same time:



Since the oblong baker is a bit larger than a standard pan, I increased teh recipe by 25% to get this nice sandwich style loaf. The clay bakers are worth every dime, but the upfront cost is a bit steep. If you have thrift stores in your area, stop in periodically to see what they have. I've known several people who found them in the thrift stores and bought them for like $5. Lucky finds. You might also find cheap cooking vessels there as well, or a crock pot liner and lid from a unit that doesn't work any longer. You need to be as resourceful with bread baking as with rod building and fly tying. Check out non-traditional places for good buys. Like these mixing/proofing containers I bought for $1 each at the Dollar Store.


Joe

[LadyFisher]

Mine arrived in the mail from Breadtopia today, will start a batch this evening. Must says 'thanks' again Joe, great fun (and eating) for those of us who have tried the bread making.
We surely have a wonderful group of folks here on FAOL. Hugs all.