no knead bread experiment/work in progress

[Mr. Fixit]

yesterday I tried to make no knead bread using same equiptment I will be using on the boat. I have been making my own bread at home for years, however I do not consider my self an expert. If anybody has any advice on my miscues I would appreciate their experience. The no knead dough is more like a batter than a dough, although I generously greased the bread pan, it still stuck. I think it may help to flour the pan after greasing as you would with a cake batter. The second miscue was the bread pan(i think). I used a pyrex glass pan, I like them because I can see the color of the loaf. I did not have a cover of any type over the pan. My microwave/convection oven heats from the top. The bread glazed over on the top, probably from the forced hot air from the top, befor it was baked on the bottom. I think next time I will try to put some type of cover over it. I had to take the loaf out of the pan and finish baking it up side down to complete baking. It was edible that is all I can say. The convection oven has worked very well with ordinary bread dough. The no knead also took longer to bake than the regular dough. I like the idea of no knead, not as much mess,clean up easier, less yeast. If the problems are worked out it may become my preferred method of baking

[CharlieJ]

I've been aboard the boat now for almost two weeks and Laura has baked two loaves
, and a cake using her pressure cooker. The only trouble she had was the bottom being slightly burned but we bought a clay saucer today to use as a diffuser in the cooker bottom which should solve that problem.

Oh and Laura just told me-you don't grease the glass pan - just flour the bread well then drop the dough into the HOT pan. It doesn't stick.

[Auspicious]

Kneading bread is a settling experience. Very Zen.

[Mr. Fixit]

Question --CharlieJ/Laura---Does Laura use the pressure cooker as a Dutch Oven or as a pressure cooker?

[psyche]

What is the recipe for the no kneed bread? Dan

[CharlieJ]

What is the recipe for the no kneed bread? Dan

in "galley and ration" go to a thread called "since Laura retired" there's a link in the first entry by me to the video

I'm right now in the middle of Lake Pontchartrain approaching the Rigollies. Don't know how to include a link using this IPhone-grin

[Grime]

Here's the link to the youtube that Charlie is talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU

[CharlieJ]

Thanks David

[s/v Faith]

Here's the link to the youtube that Charlie is talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU

Too cool,

  From the video....

3 cups of flour (nothing special, just general purpose)

1/4t of yeast

1 1/4t of salt

1 1/2 cups of water.

Put them together, and lightly mix (guy in the video did it with his fingers, took maybe 3 seconds).

Cover dough and allow to rise for 12 hours.

Fold dough into a ball sprinkle wheat bran on top, flip it over and sprinkle bottom and place in pan.

  Pan should be pre-heated to 500f  They used dutch over type iron pan but suggested Pyrex would work fine.

Bake at 500f 15min covered, and then 15 uncovered.

  Looked amazing.

[CharlieJ]

That's how Laura does it. She uses a Pyrex bowl. Only difference is you can't get the pressure cooker quite that hot so baking takes a tad longer. She just bought a clay flower pot saucer to use as a heat diffuser so the. Bottom of the loaf doesn't burn.

[Mr. Fixit]

I followed directons and as Charlie said even a(cave) man can do it. The bread was very good, I was suprised by the fact that the recepie does not have any oil/shortening in it. The oil and extra liquid are the only differences aside from the reduced amount of yeast,from conventional bread. This time I did not add oil. When I make conventional bread the only thing i measure is the liquid, and rely on experience for the other ingredients .From my no knead attemps if you follow the recepie, you will get good results. Since I am using electric to bake I think I will stay with kneaded bread, because with the convection oven I only bake at 375 deg. for 25-30 min. for a loaf using 3 to 3 1/2 cups of flour. 450 is the top end of my convection oven, and for this reason I will stay conventional. If I was cooking with propane, I really like the advantages of no knead. Easier cleanup etc.