Comments on: No-Knead Bread, One Year Late (Plus, How to Make Your Own Butter)

By: HerbyN

HerbyN — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:24:56 +0000

seems interesting, but why would i want to use a recipe where the bread has to rise 12 hrs? i'd rather knead the bread in my stand mixer and have an hour or 2 of rising... not that much extra work for bread that is ready much faster...

loved the butter recipe, though...

By: Nathalie

Nathalie — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:30:52 +0000

I made the no-knead bread a number of times over the holidays. I followed the Cooks Illustrated recipe from November/December 2007. I opted to use Harpoon Winter Warmer as my beer (the recipe calls for a lightly flavored lager). I have to say that it was the best loaf of bread I have ever made!!! Oh, and I kneaded that bread at least 20-30 times before the final rising. The first time I made it, I kneaded only 15 times which produced a denser interior. When I double kneaded, my bread's interior was much more desirable and the crust was absolutely amazing

By: Dave C

Dave C — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:30:40 +0000

You can definitely make the bread in an unenameled cast iron dutch oven. It tends to brown too much, so I've taken to lowering the heat, and skipping the part about removing the lid for browning. The brochure with my Le Cruset enameled cast iron dutch oven warns that heating it empty will damage the enamel, so I have been reluctant to even try bread in that one. I have also used a Corningware casserole, and a Corning Visions amber glass saucepan with lid. All worked just fine.

Someone on one of the blogs, talking about the no-knead bread, suggested folding the dough and letting it rest in the original mixing bowl, and setting it to rise on parchment in another bowl, then transferring it, paper and all, to the heated cooking pot. I find those suggestions work great, and eliminate the mess entirely. Wet dough is hard to work with, using hands.

As for needing to knead--knead away, I say, if that's what floats your boat. But let your dough rise slowly for at least 12 hours, if you value that wonderful flavor and chewy consistency found in artisanal loaves. It is that great flavor and chewiness, as much as the crackly crust, that makes me so happy I found this method.

By: Ron

Ron — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:55:50 +0000

Being something of a traditionalist when it comes to bread (though being disabled I now use a machine), I'm baffled by no-knead bread. There's no knead for it (sorry!). I mean, how is a few minutes kneading not better than 18 hours of hanging about, interspersed with the occasional bout faffing around?

If you don't like kneading, though, make Spelt bread, which needs an absolute minimum to give a well-risen, crusty, loaf. Doesn't take 18 hours either. Add 25% rye flour for a more pronounced flavour.

By the way, adding extra yeast may make the loaf collapse - the opposite of what you might expect - as the extra CO2 can cause the trapped bubbles to burst.

By: BarbC

BarbC — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 11:18:54 +0000

When I was a wee one we made butter in school using a jar with a lid and cream. Shake shake shake then butter. I keep thinking of doing this with my kids.

Barb C

By: Ysha

Ysha — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:41:11 +0000

I've made butter before but never kneaded it. I just popped the cold cream straight out of the fridge and into the stand mixer and fired it up. It turned into whipped cream and them suddenly butter, flinging buttermilk out of the bowl and all over the kitchen.

When I was in the pre-vet program (before several changes of major), I was told that you could make butter in the blender from milk of any fat content. It just takes longer and you get less with low fat milks. The blender would most likely stop the flying buttermilk as well!

By: elchan

elchan — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:32:23 +0000

I once accidentally made almond butter after walking away from a batch of whipped cream – I didn't knead it or anything, but it was pretty amazing on my pastries~

By: SP

SP — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 13:23:56 +0000

let the cream sit out overnight at room temp, it sounds like you have a cool kitchen anyway. nothing unsafe about that. if you have any on hand, you can enhance the cheesification of your cream by mixing a dollop of crème fraîche (or yogurt, sour cream etc) in there before setting it out. this will introduce some already active cultures to your cream. then chill it to the desired temperature and proceed as you did.

By: Blake

Blake — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:44:57 +0000

Hi Emily--thanks! I think you'll be fine with a regular cast iron oven as long as you've used it before and/or seasoned it. Otherwise, the bread may have a metallic taste. Worst case scenario, a little lost time and you're a couple cups of flour poorer.

I've heard that the bread can be made in a clay pot, or even a glass one.

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:48:12 +0000

hi…do you know if the pan has to be enameled? I have a cast iron dutch oven but it doesn't have any enamel on it. Your bread looks incredible!