Posted by Matt on March 17, 1998 at 19:48:27:
I received this message and have never delt with no-knead bread.
Does anyone here know what this women is talking about. I though it was interesting enough to post here to see what you all thopugh.
Matt
Message from Rita:
Thanks for your response Matt, what I've been making is not a batter bread, but a normal bread (that doesn't require kneading). I have not really found anyone that can explain it to me.
The dry ingredients are placed in a tub, the liquid added and then stirred to incorporate. This is a stiff moist dough, like thick porridge, a wet hand comes away clean the same way as when making meatloaf. It's stirred for 30-60 seconds, just to bring it together
into one mass. I use a very sturdy short handled large professional spoon (wood would break). Sometimes I may finish it off with my hand. (In the old days I would at this stage turn it out of the bowl and knead - its that consistency, maybe a bit moister.) I have a feeling that if it were any drier it may not rise as well, but I have not tested this). Richer breads don't rise as much or as quickly (eg danish).
This is then left to rise - it will double and can even rise 5 times in volume if left. The gluten is well developed, very stringy if left to overrise, with lots of air. This is then emptied onto a floured board and knocked back to expell excess air, shape and left to double before going into the oven. Sometimes I put it in the fridge overnight after knocking it back and shape and bake the next day (sourdough and rye).
Oven spring is anywhere from 50% to 150% without splitting.
I bake both panned bread (high top with yeast), sourdough without any added yeast as freeform long loaves or ovals and rye sourdoughs with added yeast as freeform long loaves. Also make poached sourdough bagels on baking tiles. So, the dough has structure.
When baked there is no difference to kneaded breads. Actually there is no difference from the time it's knocked back. People generally don't believe me when I tell them the bread hasn't been kneaded. Depending on the recipe and the baking, I can get thick crusty crust with soft crumb interior, to heavy dark moist rye that keeps well for 4 days, to normal sandwich high tins, rolls and baguettes, as well as really holey bread aka ciabatta, but using sourdough rather than yeast. All of this tastes
better than what I can buy.
I use stoneground unbleached flour, durum flour, semolina , debittered soy flour, the rye flour is also stoneground. Dry active yeast and a dough enhancer - natural improver made with soy and vitamin C plus other things.
Any kneaded bread recipe can be made this way. I haven't had any
trouble converting recipes.
I had a very short discussion about this with Darrel Greenwood some time ago, and he pointed me to FAQ which said that the dough is fully hydrated, but would not be successful in unpanned bread. I agree that the dough is fully hydrated (I think) but it works fine freeform.