No knead, slow rise bread. (with video)

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I love this bread. I have one of the green ceramic coated cast iron dutch ovens that make doing this bread a snap. I make a little more than the recipe calls for and use an addition of gluten to make it rise even better. I love the way the crust crackles as it cools. Can't get enough of this bread!

IMG_1574.JPG
 
hey guys i just mixed up another batch of this using my changes above.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup bleached flour
4 tsp vital glutton
3 Tbl honey
1 tsp salt

i added some mixed fruits and nuts run through the food processor. dont remember what dried fruits and nuts but i plan on getting some more at wholefoods tomarrow.

will let yall know how it turns out.
 
Farmbrewer, would he conceivably need more yeast for using whole wheat?

Probably not, probably need a bit more rising time from the looks of it. You could go ahead and add another 1/2tbs of yeast if you wanted to but I would think an additional hour of resting time may do the same. On a side note my Mom got me a new baking book for Christmas. It's called "fresh bread in 5 min a day" or something like that. The premise of the book is that you make dough that is kept in the fridge until time to use. The base recipe is almost the same as the no knead bread and it is indeed another no knead bread. You do not use a dutch oven however but instead you need a pizza stone and a steam tray. A dutch oven acts like a pizza stone and steam tray in many ways because it keeps steam in to produce that wonderfully crisp crust and to distribute a continuous desired heat. A dutch oven does have it's limitations however as I can only make one sort of bread, I can't make a baguette for instance. This new method seems to combine the ease of no knead baking with the complexity of old world knead type baking. Yesterday with the same dough (you make a batch big enough to produce 4 loafs) I was able to make cinnamon rolls, a standard loaf of bread, and a pizza with all what I would consider exceptional results. The dough is supposed to last up to two weeks in the fridge (as it ages it become more sourdough like), when you want a loaf of fresh bread just take a 1lb piece of dough out let it rise for 40 min and bake. When I get some time to take some pictures I will put a tutorial up for you all.
 
heres some pics of the loaf i just pinched. ;-)
its a very dense bread. and very good.
3149522652_42a3d1bb82.jpg

3148694269_ef1398a256.jpg

3148702781_0c1741aab5.jpg
 
Damn I wish my house wasn't so damn cold, it takes for ever to rise dough! I made a loaf of 5 min bread last night and it came out small and dense because I didn't want to stay up late to let it rise, maybe tonight I'll take some dough out immediately when I get home and set it next to the wood stove.
 
Damn I wish my house wasn't so damn cold, it takes for ever to rise dough! I made a loaf of 5 min bread last night and it came out small and dense because I didn't want to stay up late to let it rise, maybe tonight I'll take some dough out immediately when I get home and set it next to the wood stove.

I have a heating pad i used for mine. i used my 48qt cooler. set the pad inside let it warm to 75 and then put the dough in ther and put the carboy capper i made for it to keep it warm.
 
When I'm rising bread I turn the oven onto the warm cycle and let it preheat, then turn it off and let most of the heat out. When the walls and stuff are comfortable to touch I put the bread in there and it holds the temperature at around 80º quite nicely.
 
dude, i want to make this bread but i don't have the damn ceramic coated cast iron dutch oven! went to bed, bath and beyond and a tiny one was $50 and the one that looked big enough was friggen $100. do you all own the stupid things or do you cook in something else?
 
you can get the cast iron pot at many places for allot less then that. harbor freight has them for like 20 bucks. academy sports has them for 20 as well. these are great for camping so check the camping section. you cont need the enamel coated pot.
 
dude, i want to make this bread but i don't have the damn ceramic coated cast iron dutch oven! went to bed, bath and beyond and a tiny one was $50 and the one that looked big enough was friggen $100. do you all own the stupid things or do you cook in something else?

I'm using a camp style 6 quart Lodge Dutch Oven. Yeah it was ~$48 @ Wally World, but this is a piece of cookware that will last longer than I will and I've wanted one for some time. They are one of those camping items that can do it all, sauté, stew and bake. The problem with the camp style one is that is has 3 short legs on the bottom that preclude its use on the stovetop. It works great in the oven though.

Unlike most lower end non-stick cookware that most people have these days, cast iron that's cared for can last generations. I've got a couple pieces that were my grandmother's. The more they're used the better they work. Well seasoned cast iron is just as non-stick as Teflon™. It browns food better.

All that doesn't help you if you really are just looking at giving this bread a shot though, and you really don't have to have cast iron, or even enamel cookware. They mention in the original video that a nice deep casserole made of Pyrex™ or Corningware™ will work fine too, and you might have something like that in the cupboard already. Barring that, you might see if a neighbor or a family member nearby has something suitable you could borrow.
 
Yeah, I think I'm going to just bite the bullet and buy one. I'll prbably go ceramic coated as I've been wanting one for a while and could use it for lots of stuff. What size is good? ma2brew, i see you have a 6 qt, does that work out well? No touching the sides or top going on during the bake?
 
Brian, my cast iron dutch oven is over 50 years old...it is amazing. I actually also have 2 big cast iron pans as well...I don't use them that often, but getting a great seasoning on cast iron makes for amazing cooking.
 
im wanting to say sams club has the 6qt enamel dutch oven for 35 or 40. if you plan on using it to fry in and reuse the oil then you want the enamel as it will keep the oil better. if you use it like i use mine which is for baking like this or stews on the wood stove then just get the standard 5qt dutch oven from the camp section of the sports or hardware store. where you located?

NM i see. NC.
 
That 7 qt one from Tractor Supply would be my first choice if I needed one for indoor/home use only.

The problem with a few of the enamel ones is that while the pot can take the heat, the handles on the lids are sometimes of a different material that just can't take the heat above 400º.

Hell, that combo cooker setup is sweet and might go on my b-day wishlist for under $40!

As for my 6 qt, depending on the shape of the loaf I make, it will hit the sides. In a basic round it ain't that close, but when I start making a more log-shaped loaf it will touch on the ends. Not so much that it's caused any problems or deformities though.

I've got an old enameled Le Creuset that's smaller and deeper that I am going to try a loaf in, just to see if I can get a higher loaf that's shaped a bit more favorable to a sandwich. My only concern there is sticking, but I'm sure it's nothing a lengthy soak in warm water won't fix if the loaf doesn't release after baking.
 
Just use a 4 to 5 quart removable ceramic crock pot crock and cover with 18 inch wide aluminum foil for the covered cooking time. Works great. Just make sure foil is sealed well.
 
When I'm rising bread I turn the oven onto the warm cycle and let it preheat, then turn it off and let most of the heat out. When the walls and stuff are comfortable to touch I put the bread in there and it holds the temperature at around 80º quite nicely.

I like it I'm going to have to try that today, we keep the house around 60 this time of year so rising bread is a PITA.
 
I like it I'm going to have to try that today, we keep the house around 60 this time of year so rising bread is a PITA.

our house sits between 53 and 60º this time of year and it would take me days to raise a loaf of bread if I didn't use the oven. One thing that I forgot to include was that I leave my baking stone in there, and I often store cast iron pans in there as well (on the bottom shelf) I think the increased thermal mass helps hold heat.
 
Yeah I left my baking stone in, it worked really well. 53? jeez I though I kept my house cold! When I tell people I keep my thermo set at 58 they look at me like I'm crazy.
 
Hello HBT,

OK, I tried this recipe again yesterday and got way better results! Check it out:

DSC04064.JPG


This is my obligatory "with homebrew" shot. The brew is a generic Honey Porter...not quite perfected but not bad for my second solo batch.

The only thing I changed about the bread recipe is more yeast than before. I am also using a pyrex 2-quart pot right now because it is all I have at the moment. Still not too bad...

DSC04066.JPG


Best sandwich ever...I'm thinking this will be darn near perfection with a stew or soup or chili, etc.

-Tripod
 
WOWOWOWOW...Tripod that looks great, and I like the shape of the loaf.

I did one this weekend where I swapped out a half cup flour for a half cup masa harina, and it has a slightly different texture and tighter bubbles...good bread...I'm going to play more with the masa harina since I have a huge bag of it, and am not that good at making homemade tortillas.
 
Looks fantastic, Tripod!

I mixed my sourdough version together this morning; I'm going to forget about it until Friday to give it ample time to rise.

:mug:
 
So I bought an "Emeril" (wow!) brand enamel-coated cast iron 6 qt. dutch oven and have made the bread twice now. First time had some problems with a too-wet dough that was a nightmare to fold and actually stuck to the towel when I was trying to flip the damn thing in the scorching hot pot. So I ripped what I could off the towel and closed the lid and let it go. Actually turned out pretty good but it was already pretty well browned when I took the lid off at 30 minutes. After about 5 minutes with the lid off it was getting some really dark spots so I pulled it out. Tasted great despite everything and had that chewy open crumb I thought I'd never be able to duplicate at home. I was stoked and made a second loaf, using slightly less water. No sticking problems that time but it was still well-browned after 30 minutes. I'm thinking I'll try not preheating the lid, so steam has a chance to condense for a little while before it gets hot. That might keep it moist in there a little longer. It's weird because the lid seems to fit tightly. Any suggestions?
 
Thanks All!

I think this is going to become a weekly thing for me now. This is a way better "attention keeper" than staring at a fermenter every time I brew. So easy to make! If I get a few good batches in a row, (read: if I get my technique down...) I'll try adding some spices/cheeses/garlic/etc.

This has to be the best site on the internet...I seriously think I've grown more (on a personal level) in the past few months! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME, HBT??? :)

-Tripod
 
Ok guys so I made a new bread dough the other day and it was awesome.

Spent grain rustic bread Should make two loafs
3 cups warm water
1tbs active dry yeast
1tbs kosher salt
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup spent grain
5 cups all purpose white flour

Mix all ingredients up in a bowl cover and let rise for two hours at room temp. Place dough in the refrigerator over night or for up to two weeks. On baking day take a 1.5lb piece of dough out of the refrigerator (use flour to avoid sticking to hands and other surfaces) and form into a ball by tucking edges of dough under. Set on corn meal dusted pizza peal or other surface and rise for a minimum of two hours or until at least doubled. Heat oven to 450 20 min before baking. If using pizza stone preheat this along with a steam tray, if using dutch oven preheat dutch oven as you would with the no knead recipe. Flour top of dough and score 2 to 3 time in a cross hatch pattern. Place dough on pizza stone and put 1cup water in steam tray and shut door to oven immediately(alternately if using dutch oven place dough in oven and cover. Cook for 30 min and cool on cooling rack.

rusticbread.jpg>


I might increase the spent grain to 1 cup next time but other than that It's wonderful bread, my wife thought it was the best bread I've ever made. By the way sorry for the picture I'm at work and all I had was a slice of the bread not the whole loaf.
 
So I bought an "Emeril" (wow!) brand enamel-coated cast iron 6 qt. dutch oven and have made the bread twice now. First time had some problems with a too-wet dough that was a nightmare to fold and actually stuck to the towel when I was trying to flip the damn thing in the scorching hot pot. So I ripped what I could off the towel and closed the lid and let it go. Actually turned out pretty good but it was already pretty well browned when I took the lid off at 30 minutes. After about 5 minutes with the lid off it was getting some really dark spots so I pulled it out. Tasted great despite everything and had that chewy open crumb I thought I'd never be able to duplicate at home. I was stoked and made a second loaf, using slightly less water. No sticking problems that time but it was still well-browned after 30 minutes. I'm thinking I'll try not preheating the lid, so steam has a chance to condense for a little while before it gets hot. That might keep it moist in there a little longer. It's weird because the lid seems to fit tightly. Any suggestions?
Are you trusting your stove temp.?
 
Back
Top