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Non-BBQ Related Topics => Oven, Stovetop, Microwave, etc. => Topic started by: Skouson on January 05, 2012, 01:17:40 pm

Title: Bread
Post by: Skouson on January 05, 2012, 01:17:40 pm
My mother started her kids baking bread at a very young age, so I've been doing this for almost 50 years.  I recently discovered No Knead Bread and made a batch yesterday and today.  This is without a doubt the best bread I've ever made.  The crust was so crisp you could hear it crackle when it was cooling off.  The crumb was both moist and very chewy.  The only ingredients were flour, water, salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of yeast.  It was so easy to make, and used very few dishes.  I'm hooked.

Skouson

Title: Re: Bread
Post by: Gizzy's Smokin Crew on January 05, 2012, 01:32:40 pm
Looks good....Nice Job
Title: Re: Bread
Post by: Mark on January 05, 2012, 01:55:36 pm
Nice! :P I'm amazed you got that kind of rise out of 1/4 tsp of yeast. If you would, please give us the recipe.

I make bread quite often using my breadmaker to create the dough. My Kamados do a fine job of serving as a brick oven. But my standard french bread/pizza dough recipe is:
2 cups bread flour
1 cup water
1 tsp each yeast, sea salt, olive oil

For me the trick is high heat. I bake my baguettes and pizzas at 450-500 degrees.
Title: Re: Baking Bread with 1/4 tsp yeast (Video)
Post by: mustang on January 05, 2012, 04:14:09 pm
Nice! :P I'm amazed you got that kind of rise out of 1/4 tsp of yeast. If you would, please give us the recipe.

Here's the dutch oven version I use to bake no-knead bread.  The closed dutch oven provides the humidity required during the first half of baking.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Easy-No-Knead-Bread-Video.aspx (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Easy-No-Knead-Bread-Video.aspx)

P.S. Recipe and method are contained in the video.

The closed dutch oven succeeds because it's essential to have steam during the beginning of baking a loaf of bread. Yeast activity accelerates as soon as the bread enters the hot oven. If you put the dough into a dry oven, the crust sets immediately, preventing the yeast from expanding the bread.

By using a closed dutch oven with this type of wet dough, the all-important steam is trapped inside, surrounding the loaf. This keeps the crust soft and cool longer, allowing the yeast to go to work and the loaf to grow. Enzymes in the dough are also active at this time, particularly on the warmer surface, busily working to convert starches into dextrins and other simple sugars. These sugar compounds ultimately contribute to your final crust coloration and flavor towards the end of the baking time.

The heat of a dutch oven remains much more constant than the heat in a conventional oven.  It also traps much more steam inside than can be achieved by putting a pan of water into a regular oven.  Regular ovens vent, so it is difficult to keep enough steam inside.  Combined with a wet dough, the superhot dutch oven traps plenty of humidity inside.  Plus, the higher the internal temperature of the loaf, the more webbing and sheen will be created in the crumb.

Title: Re: Bread
Post by: Kevin on January 05, 2012, 05:14:16 pm
Looks great! I'll give it a go.
 8)
Title: Re: Baking Bread with 1/4 tsp yeast (Video)
Post by: Skouson on January 05, 2012, 06:33:15 pm
Here's the dutch oven version I use to bake no-knead bread.  The closed dutch oven provides the humidity required during the first half of baking.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Easy-No-Knead-Bread-Video.aspx (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Easy-No-Knead-Bread-Video.aspx)

P.S. Recipe and method are contained in the video.

The closed dutch oven succeeds because it's essential to have steam during the beginning of baking a loaf of bread. Yeast activity accelerates as soon as the bread enters the hot oven. If you put the dough into a dry oven, the crust sets immediately, preventing the yeast from expanding the bread.

By using a closed dutch oven with this type of wet dough, the all-important steam is trapped inside, surrounding the loaf. This keeps the crust soft and cool longer, allowing the yeast to go to work and the loaf to grow. Enzymes in the dough are also active at this time, particularly on the warmer surface, busily working to convert starches into dextrins and other simple sugars. These sugar compounds ultimately contribute to your final crust coloration and flavor towards the end of the baking time.

The heat of a dutch oven remains much more constant than the heat in a conventional oven.  It also traps much more steam inside than can be achieved by putting a pan of water into a regular oven.  Regular ovens vent, so it is difficult to keep enough steam inside.  Combined with a wet dough, the superhot dutch oven traps plenty of humidity inside.  Plus, the higher the internal temperature of the loaf, the more webbing and sheen will be created in the crumb.



Mustang, you nailed it. I used essentially the same recipe as in the Mark Bittman video.  Yes, it only takes 1/4 teaspoon of yeast.  The secert is "time".  From the time I started until I took the loaf out of the oven was over 24 hours.  Easy to build, easy to clean, wonderful to eat. 

Just google, "No Knead Bread".

Search for "breadtopia" for lots more information and videos.

Skouson
Title: Re: Bread
Post by: andrewpeters on July 08, 2012, 10:32:15 pm
The bread indeed is of a supreme quality , I can only Tell you simple is always better.