A few months ago I discovered the wonders of No-Knead bread; here was a way to make an amazing loaf with much less work. I was REALLY excited to see the Fast No-Knead bread recipe that came out this October. Today, I gave it a first try.
The recipe is simple enough:
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 packet ( 1/4 ounce) instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Oil as needed.
The primary difference between this version and the earlier version is that the original called for 1/4 teaspoon of yeast.
- Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
- Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes more.
- At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6-to-8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
- Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
The other key differences are a much shorter initial rise (4 hours instead of 12-18) and shorter interim rises as well. The dough at the 4 hour point looks essentially the same with either method.
I’ve made a couple of modifications to both versions that I’ve been pleased with. I found that when I put the dough on a board to rise it flattens badly – then when I moved it into the pot it would fold in half and I would end up with corn meal in the middle. So I now do the 2nd rising in a bowl to contain the dough. It still looks messy going into the pot, but the end loaf is lovely.
The end loaf for the faster no-knead bread is just as lovely, if not quite as tall.
The final product did not have an excessively yeasty flavor as I had feared. The inside had a nice rustic crumb with lots of air and a thick crunchy crust (one of my favorite parts).
Overall Assessment: This bread can be started when at 5pm and out of the oven by 11pm, making the idea of fresh bread for the next morning’s breakfast a reality. If that timeframe fits with your schedule, this becomes a very attractive recipe. It isn’t substantially different than the original recipe, but changes the timing in a way that can be helpful.
One final note: It is clear that the tradeoff here is more yeast = less rising time. At some point I want to try a work-day version where you use half a packet of yeast (around 1 teaspoon). In that case you would mix the dough before you leave in the morning, let it rise while you work, fold it and set it for its 2nd rise (a couple of hours) while you make and eat dinner, finally cooking the bread after dinner.
- Original No-Knead Bread: 1/4t yeast, 12-18 hour first rise, 4 hour second rise
- Faster No-Knead Bread: 1/2 packet (1 1/8t) yeast, 8-10 hour first rise, 2-3 hour second rise
- Fastest No-Knead Bread: 1 packet (2 1/4t) yeast, 4 hour first rise, 30 minute second rise
I plan to try the middle version next week after I get back to work; I think it may make a nice compromise between having to plan a day in advance and having to stay up way too late after a long day of work!
