Simple Bread

[randonneur]

I've heard good things about this no-knead recipe which was featured a while back in the NYT, but I haven't got around to trying it out myself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/di...mrex.html?_r=0

[Bkat]

Once you get the hang of one of the no-knead concept you can improvise variations and assimilate recipes with other ingredients into the mix without too much fuss. I find making bread is more a matter of feel more than a strict adherence to any particular recipe. Basically, bread is just flour, salt, yeast, and water. It's the little things (temperature of the water, temperature and humidity of the air, etc.) that are what really make or break a good loaf. That being said, The Bread Baker's Apprentice covers a good range. Even an oldie like the Tassajara Bread Book gives you a nice, friendly walk-through on baking good bread.

[caleb]

I've heard good things about this no-knead recipe which was featured a while back in the NYT, but I haven't got around to trying it out myself.

I made a batch on Tuesday night and used the NYT recipe with the addition of Test Kitchen's idea of transporting the dough on parchment paper. Turned out great, although the crust was overly tough. It would have been great with soup, but not so much as a sandwich bread to be sliced thin.

[randonneur]

I made a batch on Tuesday night

Thanks for the report. Now I'm definitely going to have to try this out...

[rwsaunders]

Firing this thread back up as I dusted off the old bread maker over the holidays and I forgot how easy and fun it is to play baker, especially when the machine does the kneading. Any personal favorite recipes out there for a 1.5 pound loaf maker?

[slowSSer]

does anyone have a decent gluten free recipe? the wife is GFree and i've been wanting to attempt this.

[htwoopup]

There is a two year old in the family who, as my late mother would say, is going to turn into a banana he eats so many of them. So I have been experimenting with banana breads. i think today’s bake is better but not better than yesterday’s as it has four times the butter and twice the sugar.



Taste test at the swings in the playground a few blocks away at 11.

[72gmc]

Banana bread is one of my favorite things. My wife baked two loaves and then my darn kids found them ...

[Too Tall]

Right on. Bittman suffers no fools and I can confirm that even a lowland ape like me can make crusty goodness using that method.
The real problem is not eating an entire loaf in one sitting.

[jitahs]

If you store the bread in a plastic bag the crust should get softer.

There's an old thread about bread somewhere...the Dutch oven/Tartine way works well.

[Jason Musgrave]

Right on. Bittman suffers no fools and I can confirm that even a lowland ape like me can make crusty goodness using that method.
The real problem is not eating an entire loaf in one sitting.

Whats wrong with that?! We always bake 'em two at a time, one to eat now and one for the next several days...

[caleb]

Couple reflections after a few months making my own bread.

The no knead recipe is good, and it's even better if you give it a 24-30 hour rise. If you're on the ball, this is as good of a way of baking bread as I've found.

The speedy version of the no knead recipe isn't as good. I can't seem to get it to rise as high.

I have yet to find a single rise recipe I like. Most are overly dense. I'm still looking, though.

[jitahs]

I do a No Knead variation with a single rise, sometimes it gets folded. If you're up for mad scientist experiments try it with your own starter.

Starter recipe:

Cut up an apple, throw it in with a slurry of flour & water.
Let is sit a few days, stirring occasionally and maybe adding more flour.
Eventually you'll get some little bubbles. Apple should be getting a little gross.
Fish out the apple.
Take a bit of starter, mix with malted barley flour, all purpose, salt. Mix that dry, then add water.
Cover, let sit in a sunny spot and let nature take its course; a lot of trial and error involved. Consult Tartine bread book for specifics.
Both No Knead and Tartine use the same dutch oven technique for moisture retention.

Some dough proofing right now...

[maunahaole]

I'm looking for a good bread cookbook. I read the reviews of my bread, but based on reviews, it is not what I'm looking for. I'd like something that has some good info on doing pizza crust, sourdough, baguettes, and most importantly, high temp recipes cooked on a stone. I want to do some on the grill on the pizza stone. Getting the inside oven up over 500 is pushing the limits of its capabilities, but easy to accomplish on the grill.

[bking]

I'm looking for a good bread cookbook. I read the reviews of my bread, but based on reviews, it is not what I'm looking for. I'd like something that has some good info on doing pizza crust, sourdough, baguettes, and most importantly, high temp recipes cooked on a stone. I want to do some on the grill on the pizza stone. Getting the inside oven up over 500 is pushing the limits of its capabilities, but easy to accomplish on the grill.

"Flour, water, Salt, Yeast" by Ken Forkish. Pizzaiola and baker out of Portland. it's not just a recipe book, but how to.

[rowdyhillrambler]

Maunahaole, start a thread on grilled pizzas and try to keep me away. That is my hobby! I am in the process of building a wood fired oven, but damn the grill is hard to beat.

I'm looking for a good bread cookbook. I read the reviews of my bread, but based on reviews, it is not what I'm looking for. I'd like something that has some good info on doing pizza crust, sourdough, baguettes, and most importantly, high temp recipes cooked on a stone. I want to do some on the grill on the pizza stone. Getting the inside oven up over 500 is pushing the limits of its capabilities, but easy to accomplish on the grill.

[caleb]

I do a No Knead variation with a single rise, sometimes it gets folded. If you're up for mad scientist experiments try it with your own starter.

Starter recipe:

Cut up an apple, throw it in with a slurry of flour & water.
Let is sit a few days, stirring occasionally and maybe adding more flour.
Eventually you'll get some little bubbles. Apple should be getting a little gross.
Fish out the apple.
Take a bit of starter, mix with malted barley flour, all purpose, salt. Mix that dry, then add water.
Cover, let sit in a sunny spot and let nature take its course; a lot of trial and error involved. Consult Tartine bread book for specifics.
Both No Knead and Tartine use the same dutch oven technique for moisture retention.

Some dough proofing right now...

I just picked up some apples to give this as try. Thanks.

[boxerboxer]

I do a No Knead variation with a single rise, sometimes it gets folded. If you're up for mad scientist experiments try it with your own starter.

Starter recipe:

Cut up an apple, throw it in with a slurry of flour & water.
Let is sit a few days, stirring occasionally and maybe adding more flour.
Eventually you'll get some little bubbles. Apple should be getting a little gross.
Fish out the apple.
Take a bit of starter, mix with malted barley flour, all purpose, salt. Mix that dry, then add water.
Cover, let sit in a sunny spot and let nature take its course; a lot of trial and error involved. Consult Tartine bread book for specifics.
Both No Knead and Tartine use the same dutch oven technique for moisture retention.

Some dough proofing right now...

If I ever stop by I'm leaving with a handful of starter.

[TMB]

So, I have gone back and read most of this thread. Great reading.

I have been baking bread off and on since my University days - I found it a great way to de-stress back then. I have bought lots of bread cookbooks - got rid of a bunch and kept some.

One of the best, in my view, is this one by Jeffrey Hamelman, simply called Bread. It really is a good book, I find that you really need to understand his "steps" and you will get a great result. The mistake I made was buying the e-book version of this - I like to scribble in the margins, and it's really hard to do that with the e version. I guess I wasn't sure if I would use it, I do. The other reason I would like the printed version is that the weight measures are all in pounds and ounces and I really like to use metric when baking so the paper version would make it easier to scribble in those numbers.

All in all, a really good book though.


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