NY Times bread recipe--what FUN

[bullseye]

Originally Posted by GB

Thanks bullseye. So how would I do that with this recipe (can you tell I never bake)?

Would I just replace the water part with warm water (what is the right temp to proof yeast) and let it sit for about 15 minutes and then combine everything?

I'm not a great baker myself, GB, but you would use 100-115* water (some say add a little sugar), and reduce the recipe's liquid by the amount of the proof liquid. The need for proofing seems to have something to do with the difference in particle size in the different types of yeast.

[Half Baked]

I keep playing with the bread. I greased the pan and had an even better crust but the baked on grease was too hard to clean off so I won't do that again.

Also, this time, I put cornmeal on my plastic cutting board, covered the bread with Pam sprayed saran wrap and then covered it with a towel. I worked just the same and I didn't have those horrible messy towels.

I love this bread.

Speaking of Pyrex, it isn't supposed to go in that hot of an oven, is it?

[Gretchen]

Originally Posted by GB

Thanks bullseye. So how would I do that with this recipe (can you tell I never bake)?

Would I just replace the water part with warm water (what is the right temp to proof yeast) and let it sit for about 15 minutes and then combine everything?

You don't have to proof it. You can use warm water if you want to. or NOT. Don't make this hard!!!!! ;o)
It is EASY.
The only thing I think that people are doing possibly "wrong" is not flouring the turned out "sponge" enough. As I have said, i turn it out onto the counter with a goodly amount of flour on it, put the dough on it, and a bit more flour on top. Then just scrape the dough from the bottom back over the top to get a bit more flour in it.
I also try not to completely deflate it.
Form into the ball very lightly--it doesn't really sit up in a ball like a kneaded ball. It is pretty flat.
Put it on the towel. the last loaf I made I used bran to "flour' the towel. If you are getting a lot of sticky dough in your towel I think you don't have enough flour incorporated. It is NOT terribly sticky on the towel--it is very soft, pliable, relilient when poked.
Someone on another board put the towel into a colander and said that helped to turn it out.
Dont' grease the pan. Don't add sugar.

Sorry I didn't see this until now--I did answer the other new question about yeast. I have made this 4 or 5 times now-I'd be glad to help.

[GB]

Thanks Gretchen. I will keep it easy and just use it as if it were instant. I can't wait to taste the results. My wife picked the wrong time to go on a low carb diet.

[Gretchen]

This recipe is sweeping the internet and I'm a bit surprised that more here have not tried it. It came out 10 days ago and is the most e-mailed letter (I think in history) to the Times!!
On other cooking boards there are literally HUNDREDS of posts with results, tweaks, questions, ooohs, and aaaahs about it. Lots of different combos of flours, herb additions. I like it just straight.
Bread flour IS a big yes. ONe person used White Lily flour and another pastry flour with naturally disastrous results. However, I have just found White Lily BREAD flour--I am sure it is new, because I would have bought it previously. Lovely stuff.

[GB]

I started the process at 11 last night and my dough is looking great now. I can't wait (but will) to get this into the oven and then into my mouth.

[sparrowgrass]

I have done the bread 3 times now. I have been using the no-knead, long slow rise for a couple years, but the hot pan idea is new to me.

Don't sweat the details. Any kind of yeast, as long as it is alive, will work. I use generic AP flour--works fine.

Length of rise and kitchen temp can vary, too. This time of year, my kitchen is cold (60), unless the oven is on. I make the dough the night before, and bake it almost 24 hours after I mix it.

And last week, I mixed it on Tuesday for a Wednesday bake--well, duh, forgot I had a meeting on Wednesday. Baked it on Thursday, and it came out ok. (Not as good as before, but ok.)

Add some more flour and some olive oil to the recipe, and you will have the best pizza ever.

[GB]

What oven temp do you all use? In the recipe it says 450, but when I watched the video from the NY times they said 500 or even 515.

[JMediger]

I have a question about the baking pot ... I have an 8 quart Calphalon (hard andodized - spelling?) stock pot. My question is about the sides, they are quite tall, will this affect the result? I guess I'm picturing my pyrex and it is all short and squat, not as tall as the stock pot. And I'm still perplexed by the towel thing. Why can't you just let it do it's next rise back in the bowl covered with a towel? I tried to see the video (at NYTimes) someone referenced but they wanted $4.95 to just read the article ...

AND ALSO ... someone talked about having a colder kitchen. Ours hovers right about 65 this time of year. How much longer do I need to factor the rise?

Oh my ... this might be too much for my linear brain to wrap itself around. I might have to just stick to the old way!

[GB]

Maybe this link will work for the free video.