Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 07:47:05 GMT -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v107.n007 -------------- 001 - jweissmn@his.com - No Knead Bread with an actual teenager 002 - FMTZ@aol.com - Re: no-knead 003 - Jim Shaw * I used 3/8 tsp of SAF instant yeast, instead of 1/2 tsp. For >me, this quantity of yeast produces more reliable results. Actually the original recipe (and the video) calls for 1/4 tsp. instant yeast. Also, the given weight for bread flour is usually 5.5 ounces. Also, whatever the proportion of water to flour called for in the recipe, this very wet dough still has to be manageable. In the video you can see that it is more solid than the proportions in the recipe would suggest. When you mix this dough you have to (as is always the case) consider the humidity in your work space as well as the water content of your flour. After the 18 or so hour rising, and the fifteen minutes allowed after the "two or three" envelope type folds, the dough should be manageable -- that is it should be possible to form it into a ball without having it stick all over everything. If its too sticky add a little flour at a time until you can form it into a nice rounded ball.No harm will result!. I find that the idea of putting the dough to rise on a heavily floured towel often leaves you with the dough sticking to the towel (if you use wheat bran this doesn't apply but wheat bran gives the finished loaf too bitter a taste to suit me). I use a square of Reynolds non-stick foil, laid on 1/2 of a towel and well floured. The dough goes on that, the top gets floured or cornmealed, covered with oiled Saran wrap and the other half of the towel. Then I put an upside down colander over the whole thing which acts sort of like a Banneton and keeps the dough from spreading sideways too much. I weight the colander down with anything that's handy or else the dough will lift it out of the way. I bake for 30 minutes at 450F after preheating at 550F. I use an oval 4 quart Pyrex dish with Glass lid which I seal with a piece of aluminum foil for added moisture retention. At the end of 30 minutes I remove the pot from the oven (carefully - its hot!) and remove the loaf from the pot and finish baking it for 25 - 30 minutes directly on my baking stone. I then shut off the oven, but leave the bread in with the door ajar for at least 3 hours. The result is a perfectly crispy crusted artesinal loaf, with big holes and excellent flavor. Sometimes I cut the 15.5 ounces of bread flour to 14 ounces and add 1.5 ounces of rye flour. That gives the bread added body and flavor galore. Happy Baking!! Frank --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v107.n007.3 --------------- From: Jim Shaw Subject: Re: Sourdough Issues Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 21:12:09 +1300 I have made sough dough bread using Peter Reinhart's recipes as a basis for about 4 years now - mostly on a weekly basis. Recently I have been having a lot better success and there are two possible reason I think - probably both are significant. (Note I have adapted the recipes based on other books and web postings I have read so there are other variables too but these are the most significant. 1. I now feed my starter much better than I used to and ensure it is really lively before using it. 2. I now keep the dough warmer during rising - I don't think 67F is warm enough - maybe 75F would be better. It being summer here in NZ right now helps a lot and bread tends to rise too rapidly. What I am doing now is starting with 100gm of poolish I double it a couple of days after the last use (from the fridge) and leave it in the fridge. Repeat after a couple more days - warming for a few hours to let it come to life properly first, then cool again. About 1/2 day later I warm it to room temp, double it again when it seems really alive and when it is really foaming again I use most of the poolish for my loaf - probably it amounts to 70% of the total flour and pretty much all the water. Add a little spelt or rye flour, knead, rest, add salt, knead, rise, shape, proof and bake. I do this about once or twice a week. I do sometimes make a wholemeal miche or rye bread from the same starter but then I follow the Reinhart recipe more closely - but I still think liveliness of the starter and temperature are key. Just my way..... Jim --------------- END bread-bakers.v107.n007 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2007 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved