I was about to leave the kitchen mid-morning when I decided to take a second run at the Speedy No-Knead Bread. You may remember that I attempted it a week or so ago and it did not turn out satisfactorily. I thought that I might have used less water than the recipe called for and in addition, that I should have baked it longer.
So, I was very careful with my measurements today...staying focused on the task at hand and not letting my mind go wandering off on it's own. And yet...it still was a stiffer mix than I had remembered from a year or so ago. In fact, it appeared to me that I would be able to knead it. So I did...for about five minutes. I decided that if the dough wasn't liquid enough to let the gluten molecules align themselves easily, I would help it along with the kneading. Then I washed, dried and oiled the bowl I had mixed it in and put the dough back in it, turning it once so that it was oiled all over. I covered it with plastic wrap and then a dishtowel and placed it in the playroom (henceforth maybe I'll call it the "rising room" when I use it for bread making purposes).
After two hours I checked it and it had risen proudly and was ready for the next step. I won't go into all that. I did it the same as the last attempt and it's in that post if anyone is interested. Half an hour later, I dumped it into the preheated crock pot (the inner removable crock of the electric crock pot), covered it and let it bake in the 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then I uncovered it and let it bake 15 more minutes, checked it and decided it could go another 10 minutes. So, in all it baked 40 minutes.
I removed it to a rack and let it cool much longer than I usually do. I must admit that I haven't set the bar too high in that regard...I usually cut into it after only 5 minutes or so. This time I left it alone for 30 or 40 minutes. Talk about self-control! It was so much better than the last attempt, but that wasn't difficult since the last result was pretty disappointing.
As I was kneading and preparing the dough to rise I considered whether it might be worthwhile to just make bread the way I used to. But, this way is much quicker to mix and has fewer steps. I had set it to rise at 11:30 and was eating a slice by about 3 or 3:30. I'm thinking it would be worth trying to bake it in a regular bread pan...maybe. What to do, what to do...
What do you think, Cousin J?
3 comments:
Hmmmm, I don't know why you would need to knead. You're using a different recipe, a variant of the original? Maybe that's it. Though Bittman is usually spot on. But, I can tell you this: you can make it in a well-greased bread pan, as dinner rolls in a greased muffin pan, as a free form baguette or round loaf on a cornmeal-covered or parchment paper-lined tray, just keep an eye on the bread because the time changes a bit. Have fun!
I really didn't need to knead, but I thought it might help since the dough was not shaggy. Instead it was quite close to being like regular dough, so I thought it might help. And it doubled in about half the time. The original recipe uses 1/8 cup more water, but I can tell you that wouldn't have made much of a difference in the dough.
I will try it in a bread pan next time, though. My crock (probably not intended to be used at such high heat, cracked. I didn't notice it until I washed it.
I really should give it up...not because I want to, but because I keep eating it! Thanks for the insight.
Your photo made me so hungry for bread, not a good thing since I am determined to avoid eating processed flour. Once I tried making bread with only whole wheat flour and didn't add any extra gluten. Nice doorstop!
Post a Comment