FrankP wrote:Has anyone with a Le Creuset dutch oven or similiar enameled cast iron dutch oven, noticed any problems with the knob blistering or cracking or with the enameled finish discoloring, chipping or cracking? The recipe calls for heating a dutch oven to 500 degrees F before adding the dough. This is above the manufacturer's maximum recommended temperature of 450F and involves heating an empty pan, something that Le Creuset does not recommend. I'm reluctant to experiment given the replacement cost. Maybe the answer is to purchase a basic cast iron Lodge dutch oven to use for bread baking. Any feeback would be appreciated.
FrankP wrote:Has anyone with a Le Creuset dutch oven or similiar enameled cast iron dutch oven, noticed any problems with the knob blistering or cracking or with the enameled finish discoloring, chipping or cracking? The recipe calls for heating a dutch oven to 500 degrees F before adding the dough. This is above the manufacturer's maximum recommended temperature of 450F and involves heating an empty pan, something that Le Creuset does not recommend. I'm reluctant to experiment given the replacement cost. Maybe the answer is to purchase a basic cast iron Lodge dutch oven to use for bread baking. Any feeback would be appreciated.
MelT wrote:
Has anyone else tried to make french toast out of the no-knead bread? Any problems?
And can anyone give me a tip for converting this to a chocolate bread loaf? What happens to the chemistry of the bread when one adds cocoa? Or sugar? Can I add something to add richness to the batter, like milk? Or egg?
I appreciate any tips!
HiHoHiHo wrote:I made my first loaf, and no surprise to all of you here, it was wonderful. I made it almost as originally described, but added 1T "vital Wheat Gluten" which I always add to my bread dough. I baked at 450 for 30 min covered and 15 minutes uncovered. I would proudly put this next to any ciabatta you'd find in a store,and challange anyone to tell which came from a bakery. The crust and crumb were perfect. Only change for next time is that I will increase the salt from 1.25 t to 1.75.
My question to you bakers - I would like to bake just half the dough next time, the full loaf is too much for us (yes, we CAN and DID eat it in one day, but a half batch would be better for our waistlines.)
What is the best baking time - covered and uncovered - for a half batch?
HiHoHiHo wrote:What is the best baking time - covered and uncovered - for a half batch?
HiHoHiHo wrote:What is the best baking time - covered and uncovered - for a half batch?
Ok, I tried it at 20 minutes covered and 15 minutes covered, and in turns out the browning, doneness, and color, everything was ok.
BUT, the crumb was much more dense than my prevous full-size batch. no big holes. This could be attributed to the rising times before baking, but I thought I was doing everything the same. It just didn't rise more in the oven at all. Usually the baking will produce addl rise.
If others have suggestions for baking times for half batches, please post! thank you
I didn't get a pizza stone until this summer, so I didn't get around to cranking up the oven to 450 until last night. We loved this recipe. I think it was better than the NYT NKB. I halved the recipe and made the dough on Saturday afternoon. The slashes on top aren't deep enough, but it was delicious nonetheless. I can't wait to make their pizza dough and the other recipes in this book. The authors have two websites that serve as great resources.sujormik wrote:Just wanted to share: There was a story in today's Trib food section about a quick no-knead bread that stays in the fridge for weeks and can be put together quickly, and I had to try it.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 8363.story
It was quite easy and very good. Recipe says it makes about 4 loaves, I can totally see getting 5-6 by making the loaves smaller. I ordered the book today, it gets great raves on Amazon.
Jonah wrote:I recently tried Bittman's no-knead whole wheat bread, which is mostly whole wheat, with some rye and cornmeal. The bread was total brick, virtually no rising took place. The flavor would have been good, had you not needed a chain saw to cut a slice. I realize that you don't get the same rise with these grains as with white flour, but this was just wrong. The recipe must be a delicate one, and something on my end was off (room temp., etc.), because I'm sure this wasn't what Bittman intended. Oh well.
Jonah
Mhays wrote:Has anybody tried anything other than the first recipe from the five-minutes-a-day book?
Nancy S wrote:
I cook it 30 minutes covered - that's it. I love this crust. Golden brown and delicious, chewy but not so chewy that it's hard to make a sandwich of it.