I would like to add my two cents to the discussion of Mark Bittman's
no-knead bread article. I was excited when I read the article and
rushed to try it.
I have now made the bread four or five times.
I realize that all taste is personal, but in comparison with breads
made with a Poolish or pre-ferment, I don't think the no-knead recipe
produces an interesting or complex taste. My taste expert, - namely
my wife, - agrees. I am not about to give up loaves that require more
effort, though I think I will try the no-knead recipe a few more times.
I did find, as a recent participant states, that parchment paper
helps a lot when making the no-knead recipe.
I have been sending the no-knead recipe to people who like good
bread, but don't make bread, and telling them that it produces a good
loaf that is very easy to make.
In Bittman's original article he said he would not buy a cloche
because he avoids kitchen tools with only one use. Even though this
is true, I would cast a strong vote in favor of the cloche. If you
bake bread fairly often it is great. You get lovely crusts and really
nice crumb. The no-knead recipe supposedly takes us back to the
Egyptians, but the cloche definitely takes us back to the ancient
Greeks, or at least there are vase paintings of Greeks and Romans
using bell-shaped cloche-like devices to bake bread.
When I first tried it I thought the no-knead recipe contained too
much water, but this may relate to the flour I use (KA Bread Flour),
its age, and local conditions. In general I have come to leave most
of my doughs more moist and more sticky than called for in the
recipes. Harder to work with but I think the results make the extra
effort worthwhile.
Stephen Blumm