Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads (6 page)
Read Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads Online
Authors: Nancy Baggett
Tags: #Cooking
A very light metal baking pan was used.
Very shiny, light-colored pans are often too reflective and divert heat away from the loaf. Switch to a different pan.
Bread Lacks Flavor
Salt was omitted or too small an amount was added.
Kneadlessly Simple
breads normally have plenty of flavor due to the use of a long first rise, but if salt is omitted, they can taste flat.
Loaf Tastes too Sour or Yeasty, or Has Off Flavors
Too much yeast was added.
Excessive amounts of yeast can cause over-fermentation, producing excess acid and alcohol that give breads strong aromas and flavors.
Stale ingredients were used.
Old flour, fat, nuts, or seeds, etc., will not be improved or masked by baking; start with fresh, good-quality ingredients.
Dough over-rose.
This can occur if the dough rising period is much longer than recommended; or the rising takes place in an overly warm room; or the dough is held longer than recommended in the refrigerator. All of these can lead to over-fermentation and an off taste.
Bread Is Dry and Crumbly
Overly dry additions such as stale, hard dried fruit, or dried-out cornmeal, oats, or seeds were added.
These can draw too much moisture from the dough, so always use fresh products.
Instructions to rehydrate certain ingredients were skipped.
Heed the directions to pre-soak dried fruits, seeds, etc., as they will otherwise hydrate using moisture in the dough.
Wrong flour was used.
When bread flour is called for, it is needed to provide proper structure and in some cases to prevent a crumbly texture.
Measurements were off, proportion of white wheat flour or bread flour was too low.
Wheat flours develop the gluten that keeps breads from being crumbly, so don't arbitrarily substitute other kinds of flour.
Loaf Is Misshapen
Loaf was not slashed as directed.
Not all breads require slashing, but for some it's very important: This step encourages the loaf to expand fully and the crust to split attractively, rather than in an unpredictable "blow-out" fashion.
Wrong size pan was used.
A too-small pan can cause the loaf to hang over the sides or look lopsided. A too-large pan can yield a flat or skimpy- looking loaf.
Chapter 3: Easiest Ever Yeast Breads
The recipes in this chapter are so easy I could have
called them beginner breads. I didn't, though, because I don't want experienced bakers to skip them or dismiss them as unsophisticated or beneath consideration. They are neither! As the results that come from your oven will unequivocally prove, a few uncomplicated, hassle-free steps can produce breads with superb flavor and texture and plenty of eye appeal.
How is it possible to eliminate all the traditional fussing and fiddling from yeast baking without sacrificing quality? The
Kneadlessly Simple
method just builds in time for the naturally occurring chemical processes that we now know develop both flavor and gluten in yeast dough to proceed uninterrupted. In other words, this approach just lets nature take its course and do the kneading and flavor enhancing for us.
Since none of the recipes in this book require kneading, there are other things that earn the ones in this chapter the "Easiest Ever" designation:
They require no hand-shaping and involve no time-consuming or tricky steps.
They call for few ingredients—usually only a couple beyond the essential flour, water, yeast, and salt.
They are especially convenient: All or most ingredients are added before the first rise.
KS Quotient
Super Easy: A minimum of fuss-free, easily mixed ingredients. No hand-shaping.
If you
love
fresh, homemade yeast bread, but think of it as complicated or labor-intensive to prepare, please go to your kitchen and try this recipe! You'll create light, attractive, traditional-style white bread with excellent flavor, while skipping all the traditional usual work—no yeast proofing, kneading, hand-shaping, or muss and fuss. And, like all the other recipes in
Kneadlessly Simple
, this one requires no bread machine, heavy-duty mixer, food processor, or other special equipment.
Simply stir the ingredients together in a big bowl and slip it into the refrigerator to chill for a couple hours. Then, leave it on the counter to rise all day or all night. This long, slow rise is key: It develops superior flavor and "micro-kneads" the dough so you can skip this formerly essential step. Last, simply stir the dough again; turn it out into two loaf pans; let rise, and bake.
Your reward? Two large, fine-textured loaves perfect for sandwiches, toast, or eating plain. Or, if you prefer, use half of this versatile dough for an everyday white loaf, and quickly turn the second half into a dozen large, lusciously decadent yet easy sticky buns (see
Easy Cinnamon Sticky Buns
and
Good and Easy Pecan Sticky Buns (or Saucy Maple-Butter Sticky Buns)
).
Yield: 2 medium loaves, 12 to 14 slices each
6½ cups (32.5 ounces) unbleached white bread flour, plus more as needed
3½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon table salt
1 teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
1/3 cup corn oil, canola oil, or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus extra for coating dough tops and baking pans
2¾ cups ice water, plus more if needed
First Rise
In a very large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk the oil into the water. Thoroughly stir the mixture into the bowl with the flour, scraping down the sides until thoroughly blended. If the mixture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, a bit at a time, stir in just enough more water to blend the ingredients; don't over-moisten, as the dough should be stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature (about 70°F) for 15 to 20 hours. If convenient, stir the dough about halfway through the rise.
Second Rise
Vigorously stir the dough, adding more flour if necessary to yield very stiff consistency. Using well-oiled kitchen shears or a serrated knife, cut it in half, placing the portions in 2 well-greased 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans. Smooth and press the dough into the pans using a well-oiled rubber spatula or your fingertips. Evenly brush or spray the dough tops with oil. Make a ½-inch deep slash lengthwise down the center of each loaf. Tightly cover the pans with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods
For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough nears the plastic. Remove the plastic and continue until the dough reaches ½ inch above the pan rims. Dust each loaf evenly with 1 tablespoon flour.
Baking Preliminaries
15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°F.
Baking
Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the tops are nicely browned. If necessary to prevent over-browning, cover the tops with foil. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes longer, until the tops are well browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until the center registers 208° to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer to ensure the centers are baked through. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out the loaves onto racks and cool thoroughly.
Serving and StoringCool thoroughly before slicing or storing. Store airtight in plastic bags or wrapped in aluminum foil. The bread will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.
KS Quotient
Super Easy: Fuss-free ingredients, added all at once. No hand-shaping.
Pot boules—round, peasant-style breads simply popped in a sturdy, lidded pot and baked—are about the easiest loaves possible, but among the most gratifying. They puff up well, brown beautifully, and always come out crusty, due to the moisture trapped inside the pot during the first few minutes in the oven. (In fact, the pot actually serves as a mini-oven.) As an added bonus, the loaves need no hand-shaping because the dough just conforms to the container shape as it expands.
Like the basic black dress, this basic white loaf is always appropriate and in favor. The interplay of light mild crumb, crunchy golden crust, and deep sweet yeast taste and aroma (coaxed out by long, slow rising) is downright amazing. In fact, eating this bread is a far more complex and exciting sensory experience than one might expect from the simple ingredients.
Should you ever want a change of pace from the basic loaf, it's an easy matter to add a few accents for a rather different effect. See the rosemary— black olive variation at the end of the recipe.
Yield: 1 large loaf, 12 to 14 slices
4 cups (20 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour or unbleached white bread flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons table salt
¾ teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
2 cups ice water, plus more if needed
Corn oil, canola oil, or other flavorless vegetable oil or oil spray for coating dough
First Rise
In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Vigorously stir the water into the bowl, scraping down the sides and mixing until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. If the mixture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, a bit at a time, stir in just enough more water to blend the ingredients; don't over-moisten, as the dough should be very stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more flour to yield a hard-to-stir dough. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 18 to 24 hours. If convenient, vigorously stir the dough once about halfway through the rise.
Second Rise
Using an oiled rubber spatula, gently lift and fold the dough in towards the center all the way around until mostly deflated; don't stir. Brush or spray the surface with oil. Re-cover with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods
For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough doubles from the deflated size; remove the plastic if the dough nears it.
Baking Preliminaries
20 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Heat a 3 ½- to 4-quart (or larger) heavy metal pot in the oven until sizzling hot (check with a few drops of water), then remove it, using heavy mitts. Taking care not to deflate the dough (or burn yourself), loosen it from the bowl sides with an oiled rubber spatula and gently invert it into the pot. Don't worry if it's lopsided and ragged-looking; it will even out during baking. Generously spritz or brush the top with water. Immediately top with the lid. Shake the pot back and forth to center the dough.
Baking
Reduce the heat to 425°F. Bake on the lower rack for 55 minutes. Remove the lid. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until the top is well browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until center registers 209° to 212°F on an instant-read thermometer). When it seems done, bake for 5 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the loaf to the rack and cool thoroughly.
Choosing the Right Pot:While expensive enamel-coated cast iron Dutch ovens make great bread bakers, there are lots of more economical containers that work just as well. I've successfully used several anodized aluminum stew and sauce pots; plain cast iron Dutch ovens and deep-sided skillets and fryers; enamel-coated carbon steel pots; and even a heavy 4-quart stainless steel—clad aluminum saucepan (with a domed oven-safe lid and metal handle). The shape and size of the container will greatly impact how the finished loaf will look, of course, but so long as they are sturdy and have a snug-fitting lid, all sorts of pots will yield the crusty-crackly breads that are otherwise difficult to produce in a home oven.
The pot size, shape, and composition will also affect baking time. For example, in a 10- or 11-inch diameter deep-sided skillet or Dutch oven the dough will spread out and yield a low, gently domed loaf that will bake through in the center sooner than a taller, high-domed loaf produced in 9-inch diameter pan. For more information on suitable baking pots, see chapter
Getting Started
.
Serving and StoringCut or tear the loaf into portions; it tastes good warm but will cut much better when cool. Cool completely before storing. To maintain the crisp crust, store draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or store airtight in a plastic bag or wrapped in foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a 400°F oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.
Stir 1 cup pitted, coarsely chopped black Kalamata olives (well drained) and 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh (not dried) rosemary needles (discard the stems) into the dough along with the water. Proceed exactly as directed in the original recipe.
