Bread question for those in the know

[bakechef]

YUM!! (Did you add eggs? The bread looks a bit yellow but it could be the lighting or my eyes )

I didn't shape mine, just plopped it into an oval casserole dish and covered it.

I though it got it's shaped from the pot etc. it was placed in. I thought it would just spread and be a flat wide loaf if it wasn't in a pot.

I just ran across a recipe where the dough was shaped and cooked on a hot pizza stone. It looked wonderful. I am going to try it next time.

Do I need to add any additional flour if I just want to place it on a stone?

No eggs just the lighting. I don't use a flash, so the lighting that I had in my old kitchen had a yellowish tint. I wouldn't add any additional flour, many people make it on a stone.

 

[joesfolk]

No eggs just the lighting. I don't use a flash, so the lighting that I had in my old kitchen had a yellowish tint. I wouldn't add any additional flour, many people make it on a stone.

Okay I tried it again. Got a better product. I used more yeast than before and less salt. Turned the oven down to 400 degrees after about half the cooking time and put a bowl of water in the oven for moisture. I love the chewy crust and the texture was better. It's going to be hard to eat store bought bread when fresh homemade is this easy. Thanks guys.

 

[joesfolk]

I have to tell you folks...I am absolutely sold on this no-knead bread. I spent 5 minutes this morning mixing some up. Came home and used a bit of the dough to make a couple of hamburger buns and the rest made a nice loaf. The buns were fabulous. And the bread is just what I want in a bread...c h e w y crusty surface and soft holey interior. Now I am wondering if I should try to use this recipe to make English muffins...hmmmm looks like a project for this next week.

 

[GotGarlic]

I have to tell you folks...I am absolutely sold on this no-knead bread. I spent 5 minutes this morning mixing some up. Came home and used a bit of the dough to make a couple of hamburger buns and the rest made a nice loaf. The buns were fabulous. And the bread is just what I want in a bread...c h e w y crusty surface and soft holey interior. Now I am wondering if I should try to use this recipe to make English muffins...hmmmm looks like a project for this next week.

I would love to hear about your experience with the English muffins. It's a wonderful base dough for lots of baked goods.

 

[bakechef]

I have to tell you folks...I am absolutely sold on this no-knead bread. I spent 5 minutes this morning mixing some up. Came home and used a bit of the dough to make a couple of hamburger buns and the rest made a nice loaf. The buns were fabulous. And the bread is just what I want in a bread...c h e w y crusty surface and soft holey interior. Now I am wondering if I should try to use this recipe to make English muffins...hmmmm looks like a project for this next week.

It's pretty great! Let us know how the English muffins work out. I just may try this myself using my new English muffin rings.

 

[joesfolk]

It's pretty great! Let us know how the English muffins work out. I just may try this myself using my new English muffin rings.

I tried the dough as English muffins. Wasn't impressed with them. They are okay just not what I want in an English muffin. However I wonder if I have been so tainted by store bought ones that I don't know what to expect from the home made version. Also I may have cooked them at too low heat for too long. Just experimenting anyway. They are perfectly edible but it may take a few more tries to see if I can get it tight.

 

[bakechef]

I tried the dough as English muffins. Wasn't impressed with them. They are okay just not what I want in an English muffin. However I wonder if I have been so tainted by store bought ones that I don't know what to expect from the home made version. Also I may have cooked them at too low heat for too long. Just experimenting anyway. They are perfectly edible but it may take a few more tries to see if I can get it tight.

I tried Alton Brown's recipe not too long ago. They looked good and weren't terrible, but like you, I'm looking for store bought texture, but with improved flavor and homemade.

 

[Addie]

Julie Child has a recipe also. She made them on The French Chef.

 

[taxlady]

I have made very good English muffins using the recipe in Joy of Cooking, substituting whole grain wheat flour for the all purpose flour. I even had good luck when I subbed out the butter with bacon fat.

 

[CWS4322]

Did you bake them in the oven? I cook mine on my lefse griddle. They turn out perfect every time.

 

[taxlady]

I baked them on an electric frying pan.

 

[Addie]

I made them once on a griddle. Per Julia, I used cutout tuna cans. Came out pretty good. But I just did it as an experiment.

 

[bakechef]

I bought english muffin rings while in Maine, and they work well. They also work well as egg rings, so if we make a breakfast sandwich, the eggs are the same size as the muffin with no overhang. It's the little things that make me happy,

 

[taxlady]

I wonder if letting the dough rise and then letting the muffins rise is what makes them so good. I found the recipe on line. It's not quite identical to the one in the book, but close enough.

English Muffins | The Joy of Cooking