Mel,
The parchment paper right into the dutch oven idea? I am thrilled that you shared that one. Thanks!
Thanks I’ll try that. I have a crapload of DE blades sitting in my closet.
Love the no-knead recipe. But the problem I’ve had is that the bread typically doesn’t taste very good. I’ve never been able to find a dry active yeast that lent much flavor to the bread. So, instead, I do a modified sourdough/Lahey.
First, buy the sourdough starter (which is really a combo of yeast and bacteria) here: Original San Francisco Culture – Sourdoughs International
Second, activate starter as instructed.
Third, follow the Lahey recipe but: i) do away with the dry active yeast; and ii) sub the 1 and 2/3 C water for 1 C water and 1 C proofed sourdough starter.
You get the same ease of the no-knead recipe but much better tasting bread.
I don’t know the “no-knead” recipes, but Peter Reinhart in his book is very clear that the goal of the long, cold ferment is to allow the enzymes in the dough to create the flavor, while using as little yeast as possible in order to avoid having the yeast impart its own. I use instant yeast rather than active dry yeast since it’s much simpler to use and more concentrated, allowing you to use last by volume. You might try that, too.
I’d say that’s the no-knead philosophy as well. And I usually think the flavor is fantastic. Surprised to hear that after 18+ hours, you’re not getting good flavor, Barry.
What kind of flour are you using? Perhaps it’s not malted? Flours without malt are pretty tasteless.
Well, I’m using King Arthur Bread Flour (which has the malt I believe). I get a pretty neutral flavor, although I think my first rise is usually only 12 (not 18) hours. My second rise is two hours. So maybe my first rise should be longer.
In any event, the sourdough version of of the no-knead is really great and I’ve been really pleased with it.
I havent made it in a while but the no knead sourdough is the most bang for your buck bread recipe I know. I too use King Arthur. In europe the flour comes in numbered grades, where does one find these in the states or what is their equivalent?
I believe this are both 100% white breads, basically a variation on the Lahey method. Exact recipes are from Forkish’s “Flour Water Salt Yeast”. I’ve been very satisfied with them. He doesn’t call for you to score the tops, rather after the secondary fermentation but before proofing, you shape the loeaves into a ball and drag them over a very lightly floured counter, which creates enough resistance to tighten the skin. You then proof for an hour and invert the proof loaves into the heated dutch over to get the “rustic” look.
bread1 by exemplaria, on Flickr
bread2 by exemplaria, on Flickr
The numbered grades (e.g. 55, 65) refer to ash content, rather than protein content as is common here. I have found a couple of references to equivalencies here in books like Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.
Here’s a really interesting thread comparing the two: French and American flour/ The 123 formula | The Fresh Loaf
here is what I do from the first rise…
Have been building up a new starter, following Reinhart’s formula. Last night of the seed starter, then tomorrow I can start getting the barm going. I want to bake a Poilane-style miche next week. Anybody have any particular favorite starters you use regularly? Other than converting some of the starter over to be rye flour based, what else can I do?
Olive bread using the Lahey method.
Nice one!
Made a pain au levain with 10% dark rye flour. Really takes a long time to proof, even though the starter is very active. Tried a few different shapes:
Pain au Levain 3 ways by Ruddy, on Flickr
Last week I tried the Poilane style miche (whole wheat) but made it smaller, only 2# instead of 4.
Finished Poilane style mini-miche by Ruddy, on Flickr
In Paris at the moment and trekked around to find more top baguettes. On this particular visit I snagged “Au Levain d’Antan” (2011 winner of the Paris baguette competition) and La Petite Marquise (2012 6th place). Both places are pretty awesome, in the current vogue of long and wet ferments. DON’T make the mistake of just ordering a “baguette”; one has to specify the baguette “Tradition” or “ancienne” in order to get the better bread.
Lots of good baguettes and mediocre baguettes in this fair city, but when you get a good one, you go “wow” and you take notice.
Very jealous, Cary. The pain a l’ancienne I have baked from the Reinhart book is great, I can’t wait for my next trip to try the real thing from Phillipe Gosselin.
Gosselin makes a great baguette a l’ancienne. When I went to Paris in mid 2011, I ate one and some more by myself and brought one back home for the wife.
I had a Kayser baguette the same trip and while good, I preferred the Gosselin one more.
In the 7e next to rue Cler is Pain d’Epis, which had a good “baguette royale”. It placed #9 in the 2009 competition.
Leaving back for home tomorrow morning. Bringing back two Antan baguettes, a buckwheat bread from La Petite Marquise, and if I wake up early enough tomorrow morning another one of their baguette “tradition”.
Whole wheat honey bread.
Bruce
