Best Bread I Ever Made - Modified Whole Wheat No Knead

[StriperGuy]

So I have been making my own version of no (low) knead bread for years. Always with a 12-24 hour first rise.

A friend recently shared her version as well.

I used to bake on a stone.

Then tried it in an enameled dutch oven (30 min covered 30 min open 450 degrees down to 425)

But I think I finally nailed it. As good or better than my favorite, pricey whole wheat bread the "Huron Loaf" at Hi-Rise in Cambridge, MA. I was in a rush and barely had time for a solid first rise.

Heat oven with enameled cast iron dutch oven in it to 450 degrees.

2 Cups Durum Flour
2 Cups King Arthur Bread Flour
2 Cups Hodgson Mill stone ground whole wheat graham flour
(with flours like these how could I go wrong)

Packet of Yeast
3/4 Tsp salt

Enough water to make a rather sticky gloppy dough.

Let rise in bowl for 1 hour covered with a slick of olive oil and some plastic wrap.

Punch down, knead in a bit more bread flour so the dough is a bit less sticky.

Second rise on a peel.

Into the dutch oven, lid on, for a scant 15 minutes.

Take off the lid. This gives me the CRUNCHY crust I like and stops it from rising a bit sooner so the bread is a bit denser the way I like it.

at the 40 minute mark turn oven down to 425.

At the 60 minute mark you are done.

Take out of dutch oven and cool on a wire rack.

[cassoulady]

Striperguy- how long is the second rise?

[StriperGuy]

The usual "double in size" about an hour.

[cassoulady]

thanks I will try this tomorrow!

[tall sarah]

How big is your dutch oven? I am thinking about trying this today... I have a 9 qt. oval le creuset & a 5 qt emile henry. I use the 5 qt for the Lahey no knead & it has a little room to spare. Thinking the 9 qt might be too big.... Worth a try though!

[StriperGuy]

I think it was 9. Definitely bigger than 5. It is pretty big.

[tall sarah]

Thanks! I just mixed up the batch, proofing the yeast 1st & using about 2 cups of warm water. I love to make a giant loaf of bread & hope this turns out well. Will let you know the outcome later this afternoon.

[StriperGuy]

Hope it goes well. Please do report back.

[tall sarah]

Just cut my 1st slice & I like it! It has a nutty taste- I used about 1 cup ww pastry flour, 3 cups ap & 2 cups whole wheat (what I had on hand... I wasn't about to try the buckwheat, but hey maybe this weekend!). I also used 3 teaspoons of salt & will add more next time as I like a saltier bread. The 9 qt oval pot worked out well. Next time, I will use wheat germ on the peel & on top of dough for the 2nd rise to prevent sticking.

I think this is a great addition to the Lahey no knead bread as it can be made in 3 hours total. Fantastic for the multiple times I forget to start the bread the night before!

Also, this seems like it could be a pretty good sandwich bread, too. Though it will sop up the sauce of my butternut squash tortellini quite nicely tonight...

Thanks for sharing StriperGuy!

[StriperGuy]

One note, pastry flour is LOW in gluten so essentially the opposite of what you want for bread. Gluten makes bread chewy. That said, I am sure it was still a tasty loaf.

Buckwheat definitely makes an interesting loaf.

You could even add a 1/2 cup to a cup of wheat germ to the dough...

Bottom line, take that lid off after 15 minutes.

Glad you gave it a whirl.

[p.j.]

Please clarify: was your first rise merely 1 hour (instead of the 12 -24)?
Total rising 2 hours, no kneading?
Of course the extra yeast would help, but did the bread still develop the "yeastiness" that results from the long Leahy rise?
Thanks, p.j.

[StriperGuy]

First rise was just an hour.

Total rising 2 hours.

It did not have the tang that a 24 hour rise does, which I usually really like, but somehow the flavor, while not quite tangy, was awesome. I think the really fresh bag of stone ground whole wheat flour really made it flavor wise.

[p.j.]

Thanks, StriperGuy!
A couple more questions, if you don't mind:
Is the Durum flour a brand name, or just the type of wheat, i.e. unbleached white durum wheat flour?
How is the Hodgson Mill whole wheat "graham flour" different from , say, King Arthur whole wheat flour?
Thanks, p.j.

[StriperGuy]

Durum flour is a generic term for a kind of high gluten flour made from the endosperm of hard winter wheat. It is the same flour used for pasta.

The stone ground Hodgson Mill is just much nuttier and more flavorful than any other whole wheat flour commercially available short of buying stone ground from a local grist mill. It makes a HUGE difference in the flavor of anything with whole wheat.

Stone ground flours are just generally considered to have more flavor and in this case it is very true.

[StriperGuy]

Just for the record. Toasted two days later, still the single best loaf I've ever made.

[tall sarah]

And toss on a slice of cheese when toasting.... yummmmmm

[StriperGuy]

Glad you liked it. Need to try the melted cheese...