Dutch Oven No Knead Bread - SOS Help!!

BigWader

I've been reading for a while now about no knead bread and (for some) the great results that can be achieved on the Egg.  So when I decided yesterday to make some Guinness Stew today (http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1158039/guinness-stew-and-homemade-bread-in-dutch-oven#latest) I wanted to try and make my own bread to top it off.

I've had great results following the Charcuterie recipes of Michael Ruhlman so when I saw his no knead bread recipe (with measurements by weight) I knew that was the one I would follow: http://ruhlman.com/2011/02/no-knead-bread-a-converts-story/

Well, never having made anything like it before, I had no idea if it was going well.  The dough looked wet, and goopy the whole time, but the yeast produced a nice airy sponge so I felt it was going to turn out okay. 

The recipe said to put heat the oven to 500-550'F so after preparing the stew and simmering with no lid for a good 45 minutes I took the stew inside, put my enameled cast iron on the egg indirect and brought the temp up to 500'F to preheat the pot.  After 25 minutes in the pot I took the lid off and saw some blackening around the egg.  After another 10 minutes uncovered it looked blackened so I took it off thinking it was ruined.  After cooling off I shaved off the blackened bits and was left with a pretty nice dense loaf with a great whole wheat, and slightly soured loaf taste.

Why did it blacken so quickly?  If I had to comment I really think it was too wet (looked much wetter than store bought pizza dough) even right up until it went in the dutch oven.  What needs to be different next time to produce a loaf worth sharing with others.

DMW

I have been making DO bread in the Big Clock with great reults. However I have always had problems burning the bottom when done on the egg. Last time i just setup the pizza stone and baked it on there, worked very well. Also, I use 475* for bread in dutch ovens. Next time to get steam in the egg I plan to put a CI skillet below the pizza stone and pour boiling water in when the bread goes on to create steam. And yes, the dough is much wetter than pizza dough. I haven't used that recipe, got the book Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish. According to him the DO trick is used to provide the steam effect needed for a nice crust and also help regulate the uneven temps of a residential oven. The egg provides a great stable heat source on it's own.

DMurf

When I make No Knead Bread I do not use a D.O. actually I don't have a D.O. I setup the egg with the platesetter legs down then spacers and a pizza stone. Heat the egg to 450, coat the stone with cornmeal, turn the dough on to the stone and cover with a metal bowl and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 min pull the bowl off and give the loaf a 1/2 turn, really to make sure it has not stuck to the stone, and continue to bake at 450 for 20 min to give it some color. pull it off the egg with a pizza peal and cool. 

Now when I prepare my dough I do fold it over three to four times, do not work it much at all or it will toughen up. will make for a nice rustic loaf. I have made a large batch that I keep in the fridge and pull a pound out to make a loaf 2 - 3 times, gets better with time a more sour, yeasty flavor.

BigWader

Thanks for the feedback.  It sounds like the Ruhlman recipe I used recommended way too hot a temp and the Dutch oven may only be necessary in an oven.  That would be fine with me since the enameled one I use has never seen the egg until yesterday. 

How much flour do you use?  A friend at work had a recipe that said 3 1/2 cups flour to 1 1/2 cups water.  This recipe was about 3 cups flour to the same amount of water.

Cookinbob

I make no knead bread all the time.  32 oz all purpose flour, 24 oz warm water, 1-1/2T kosher salt, 1-1/2 T yeast.  Hydrate the yeast, mix all well and let rise in a bucket for 2 hours, then put in the fridge for at least a few hours, it can stay for up to 2 weeks.  Makes 3 large or 4 medium sized loaves.  Pic is a bucket of dough in the fridge ready to go.  Kegs, bottles, and cans of adult beverages help maintain the stable temp in this particular fridge.

Note, that no knead dough has to be a bit wet.  It is much easier to work with when it is cold. 

Cut off a hunk of dough, and shape into a loaf with well floured hands, but handle it as little as possible.  I ALWAYS use parchment paper (dusted with cornmeal).  Put the loaf on the paper and let it rest for 40 minutes or so before baking.  The egg (or oven) and stone should be at 450 before you put it on, so give it time to preheat and stabilize.  Flour the top of the bread, put some diagonal slices in the top (this is important, it allows the bread to rise better), and put it on.  30 minutes should do it, but go my the color.   If you want to pull the parchment paper, you can about 20 minutes in.

Having a pan in the egg into which you dump a cup of boiling water (for steam) when putting the loaf on will result in a crisper crust, but if it is not convenient, don't worry.

For some reason, I do not have pics of regular bread I have made, here is one of a baguette made with this dough though. I will document a bread cook here in the near future

henapple

I'm not sure it matters but I've been told and read that it does.. I measure mine out in grams on a scale. There can be a huge difference in a cup.

Cookinbob

+1 on differences in a cup.  My recipe says a properly measured cup should weigh 5 oz.  my 6-1/2 cups weighs 32 oz (but only for all purpose flour).  I go by the weight for consistency

DMW

Agree, for baking I use weight for all measurements. Flour is the most important but I figure if I have the scale out anyway, why not use it for everything?

MO_Eggin

When using a DO to bake breads, I was taught to sprinkle some water on the inside of the lid before covering and putting the dough into the oven (or egg) in order to generate steam.  YMMV.

caliking

I'm very much a novice re: baking, even more so baking on the egg. In my limited experience I have noted that a pizza stone and an air gap between the stone and the pan/tray/dish seems necessary to prevent burning the bottom of the bread. I keep hearing that the dome is supposed to run hotter than the grid, but whenever I've checked, the grid has always been hotter than the dome with a direct setup. The gap narrows after the egg has been chugging along for a few hours, but I haven't seen the grid temp lower than the dome.

I woiuld have never known about your mishap from the looks of it though - the picture looks really good! Its only when you mentioned this thread in your Guinness stew thread, did I find out that you ran into trouble

BigWader

@caliking - thanks for the kind words.  I was having posting issues last night.  Here is the loaf after the it came off the egg.

@cookinbob , @DMV , @DMurf - thanks for the hints.  I love seeing all the great cook threads on here and while my cooks this weekend (short ribs underdone, and DO bread) were kind of salvaged fails I appreciate that the knowledge is here to set me straight.

I'm getting back on the horse though - prepping another batch of dough following your advice and will try to cook it at lower temp.  I can't do it on a pizza stone though since mine broke on my last pizza cook and my new one has yet to be picked up.

DMurf

Here is a rustic loaf that I make on the EGG. The crust will really crisp up during the time that the bowl is off the loaf.

Dave in Florida

This is the only way I have made bread so far.  Easy and it seems to be a hit when i make it.

http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1253483&catid=1

Cookinbob

@Dave_in_Florida,  that is the first time I have seen that recipe and method.  I like the bag idea, may give it a try sometime.  Your bread looks great!