No Knead Bread

Putputt

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So yesterday I made No Knead Bread for the second time. I used this recipe. Both times, the crust came out amazing: crunchy, golden, flavorful and so on, but the crumb is pretty dense! The dough rose quite a lot when resting, so I know that the yeast isn't dead. Could it be that my oven just isn't hot enough or something? I tried increasing the temperature a little bit this time, but it hasn't really made a difference.

Mr. Putt loves it. He says the texture is reminiscent of English crumpets. "As long as you don't think of it as bread, it's really, really good," so says Mr. Putt as he finishes half the loaf in one sitting.

*le sigh!*
 

alleycat

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Did you use bread flour or all-purpose?
 

Putputt

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I used bread flour.
 

alleycat

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If anything, I would think you would want to use a lower oven temperature.
 

Putputt

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Oh! A lower oven temp and longer baking time? *strokes chin* Interesting...how much lower and how much more time should I bake it for?
 

alleycat

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Are you actually baking it at 450 degrees?
 

Putputt

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I converted 450F to C and got 233C. The first time I baked it at 230C, the second time I baked at 235C.
 

Ari Meermans

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alleycat has a good thought there--and it's something we have to take into consideration when we're baking at different altitudes.

Something else you might want to consider: With no-knead bread, the extra liquid and longer rising time compensate for kneading by helping to create those long protein strands necessary for elasticity and a good crumb. But because the recipe calls for more liquid than breads we knead, it's beneficial to give the process a little extra help by cross-cutting the top (like a hot cross bun) to help the bread's own steam to create that high dome lift during baking. Let the steam escape this way and see if it doesn't help.

A thought.
 
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alleycat

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I'm just making a hunch, maybe bake it at 200C. 450F seems very hot.

Bake it until the bread makes a hollow sound when you thump it.
 

Putputt

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alleycat has a good thought there--and it's something we have to take into consideration when we're baking in different altitudes.

Something else you might want to consider: With no-knead bread, the extra liquid and longer rising time compensate for kneading by helping to create those long protein strands necessary for elasticity and a good crumb. But because the recipe calls for more liquid than breads we knead, it's beneficial to give the process a little extra help by cross-cutting the top (like a hot cross bun) to help the bread's own steam to create that high dome lift during baking. Let the steam escape this way and see if it doesn't help.

A thought.

Interesting! I will try this out next time. Thank you!

I'm just making a hunch, maybe bake it at 200C. 450F seems very hot.

Bake it until the bread makes a hollow sound when you thump it.

Okay, I will try that too. Thank you alleycat! :Hug2:
 

alleycat

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Well, first I have to hang my head in shame.

Last week I made some biscuit bread. I got the flour out of the wrong canister. I was supposed to use self-rising; instead I used all-purpose flour. I wondered why my bread was so flat when I was cooking it. Then I had an "doh!" moment.
 
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Putputt

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Aww! :D What did you do with the biscuits?
 

alleycat

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Ate 'em.

:)

With biscuit bread they are not really biscuits--more like one giant biscuit that you cut or tear off.
 

L M Ashton

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I'd actually suggest a hotter oven for the first ten minutes - the hottest your oven will go to. That'll make the bread rise a lot very quickly - called oven spring - before it bakes enough to make it not move any more. Then lower it to, uh, well, I usually go with 180C or somewhere thereabouts, but it really depends on the oven.
 

illiterwrite

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I use all-purpose flour with this recipe all the time, and it comes out amazing. Did you let it rise long enough? I do it overnight and then take it out for its "nap" about an hour before dinner.
 

Putputt

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I used the same recipe to make no knead focaccia and it turned out perfect. I have no idea why, but ah well, I can't complain. :D
 

mccardey

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I'm making my first loaf today - I've never been trusted with it before. Of course it's midwinter down here, so it might not rise as well as it has done over the last six months. It will be mortifying if it turns out I've made a brick.