Just have to say THUMBS UP to No Knead Bread - Page 6

[ginnybee]

I haven't read all 5 pages of this thread, so forgive me if I'm bringing up old news. We use a no-knead, no-yeast bread I learned from Mary Jane's Farm magazine. This link: breadthemaryjaneway.org takes you to the website.

I had checked out the Other no-knead recipes mentioned, but like that this one is a REAL sourdough. And REALLY easy. There are instructions for catching your own wild yeast (all you need is organic flour and filtered water) - after a week you have sourdough good for pancakes, 2 weeks it's good enough for a nice risen bread.

I use the basic recipe for whole wheat farmhouse bread, which I've memorized b/c I make 3 loaves a week. I mix it up at night (just a little stir, no kneading really) and bake it first thing in the morning. It takes about 5 minutes to put together - and less than a minute to feed your sourdough every day. I use a regular loaf pan and keep a muffin pan filled with water in the oven to ensure a perfect crust.

The bread's ingredients are sourdough (flour, water), flour, honey and salt. I add about a tsp. of baking powder to cut the sour taste (not that I mind it.)

[jrose_lee]

Oh, can anyone help? I was so excited and it didn't turn out It didn't rise up at all. It looks exactly as it did when I put it in the pan (which was just kind of a blob and not able to form into a ball). Didn't get fluffy or rise up at all.

Here's what I did:

3C whole wheat flour
1/4 yeast
1 3/4 C water
1 1/2 tsp salt

-Stir, covered with tin foil (didn't have plastic wrap)
-Let rise for 13 hours
-floured surface, layed out dough (was very sticky and blobby)
folded it 1-2 times on floured surface, let it rest 15 min
-Tried to shape in a ball (wasn't too successful...seemed too mushy for getting into any sort of actual ball)
-Wrapped it in a towel (cornfloured) and tried to get it into somewhat of a ball shape in there.
-rise 2 hours in towel
-Warmed up the oven and put the pot (staineless steel with lid) to preheat
-Oiled the bottom of pan and put in the dough blob
-Baked 30 min with lid, 15 min with no lid

Took out and wasn't thrilled. Definitely couldn't make a sandwhich with this bread. It has no height at all!

Any suggestions from anyone who is an expert?

[Hazelnut]

I do the same thing and have the same issues. Mine looks more like the height of banana bread. It's very frustrating. Since mine rises more the first time (the 12-18 hours) than the second 2 hours, I tried to let it rise on the warm oven the second time, but no luck. I really need to start making regular bread I guess, but I was hoping to make this work b/c it's so fast.

[425lisamarie]

I do make a no kneed every once in a while still.... Ok so when you go to shape it in to a balll, you really cannot imagine how much flour it needs . that is the trouble with it. When you make your dough initially try adding another 1/4-1/2 cup flour. A "bench scraper" can be helpful as well in shaping. The dough should not be like batter, it just be thoroughly wet, but be able to almost come together like a ball.

I wouldn't bake it in a stainless pot that is very big. The best way to get it to be a nice shape is to use an oiled loaf pan. Very wet dough rises out, so if you are proofing free form it will not rise up properly and won't have any more luck in the oven. Either non stick or stoneware (oiled) is perfect. Or if you have anything that is tall, and smaller like some kind of baking dish. Try proofing in something you want it shaped like, so it can rise "into" it's shaped vessel. Does that make sense or help?

Once you get it down, it can be VERY easy to do this. I still make no kneeds for filled breads. Like olive, herbs and parmesan, etc. And I make rustic dinner rolls out of it too.

[ltlmrs]

Originally Posted by Hibou

-To make with sourdough starter, just add a wee bit of starter (I use about a Tbsp.) Since it rises so long, a small amount of starter is all that's needed to ferment the entire loaf.

Hibou or anyone else who is still with this thread, if I use sourdough, do I need to add yeast too? Also, could I just pinch off a bit of the old dough to use as starter rather than maintaining a separate starter. I thought that's how they used to bake bread, with a bit of dough from the day before...