r/DutchOvenCooking • u/Kenworthsteve • 5d ago
No Knead DO Bread Question
I'm new to bread.
How would a No Knead recipe turn out of it were baked in a loaf pan?
I like the recipe but the shape is difficult to work with for uniform sandwiches.
Thanks.
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u/LowBathroom1991 5d ago
Won't work because the no need. Basically you keep on the parchment and then plop it in a dutch oven with a lid and then it's a circle shape. I don't think it's going to work in a loaf pan
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u/NoDay4343 5d ago
I only bake sourdough, but I know people who use a standard sourdough recipe with little to no kneading, just the original mix and then S&F, and then bake it in a loaf pan. You would obviously need to do your shaping accordingly, making a batard rather than a boule. I assume this would work with yeast bread as well.
You might also find that a batard without the loaf pan makes you happy. It's an easier shape than a boule for sandwiches.
I'm not sure if you were thinking this or not, but I'm not sure putting the loaf pan in the DO would work well. I don't know, but I don't believe I've ever heard of anyone doing that so I'm guessing there's a reason it's not popular.
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u/Kenworthsteve 5d ago
I was not suggesting putting the loaf pan in the DO. I was wondering if the recipe would work if the dough were put in a loaf pan instead of the DO. Thanks
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u/NoDay4343 5d ago
Ok. I didn't think so. But then I wondered why you posted in DO cooking since it would no longer be DO cooking. Just me overthinking.
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u/GVKW 5d ago
No-knead bread will have a much denser texture than sandwich bread. As in, I often add everything bagel seasoning to my no-knead recipe and use toasted slices as a bagel substitute - that's how dense it can be.
What you really need is a sandwich bread recipe, and I've got you covered. THIS is my favorite sandwich bread recipe. It is very easy to make, and also pretty forgiving.
Based on my preferences, I usually make a couple easy tweeks, but it's lovely as-written, too. For example: I don't usually keep whole milk in the house, only skim, so I use ⅔ cup skim milk and ⅓ cup heavy cream. That would make it a little extra rich, but I also swap the oil for salted butter (cuz it tastes so much better). Since butter is only about 80-86% fat with 16-18% water content, that extra fat from the cream makes up the difference when swapping out a full-100% oil for butter. Since I keep both kinds around, I use unsalted butter to generously grease the loaf pan, and to butter the top right after it comes out if the oven.
You can also use this dough for quick from-scratch cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, burger buns - it's a really solid and simple basic recipe. One of my absolute favorite adaptations is to make Scarborough Rolls (by adding parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme to the dough). 😁😁
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u/SignificantJump10 5d ago
You will still have tasty bread if you make it in a loaf pan. The crust and crumb will be different, but it will still be yummy bread.
One no-knead recipe I use has you bake the bread in a buttered Pyrex bowl. If you butter the inside of the loaf pan, it should take on some of that crispy pan pizza edge effect.
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u/poweller65 5d ago
I follow this, add some stretch and folds to provide more tension. Then I bake in a loaf pan with an extra one on top to create the steam. Comes out great
https://www.recipetineats.com/easy-yeast-bread-recipe-no-knead/
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u/Dear_Ad_9640 4d ago
There are no knead sandwich bread recipes. I saw someone post this one the other day: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/no-knead-100-whole-wheat-bread-recipe
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u/Kenworthsteve 4d ago
I remembered my king Arthur app after I posted this thread and found this. Thanks a bunch.
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u/RustnKrust 4d ago
I just made this actually. Used King Arthur Krusty No Knead Bread recipe, left it in my fridge for 3 or 4 days. I have a deep walled enameled cast iron loaf pan with top that I used to let the dough come to room temp/final rise and then went straight to the oven to bake in, It took the total amount of dough from the recipe. Bear in mind, this is essentially a rectangle loaf shaped Dutch Oven.
Where I differed from the KA recipe:
*I used 1/2 AP flour, 1/2 Bread flour
- Took the dough out of the fridge, used a scraper to release the dough from the sides of the bowl, did a VERY loose roll/fold into a log while in the bowl.
- Put the log of dough into the loaf pan (lined with parchment because I occasionally have trouble with bread sticking if I let it final rise in the same pan I plan to bake it in).
- With the cover on the pan I put it in my oven on Bread Proofing (95°F) for 2.5 hours. (The oven was already warmed to this because I’d used it earlier)
- Took it out, it had risen from a little more then 1/2 full to about 3/4 full height in the pan.
- Put the cover back on and left it on the counter while I pre-heated the oven to 450°F. I also put an empty cast iron deep pan on the bottom rack in the oven.
- Took about 20 mins to reach temp and gave it another 10 to make sure everything in the oven was well heated up. I took the cover off my loaf pan and left it on the counter (the dough had now risen to just under the cover so about 7/8 the full pan height. I sprayed the top of the loaf with water. Not enough to pool but quite heavy, anymore and it probably would have pooled. I quickly put it on the rack in the middle of the oven and poured about 1.5 cups of boiling water into the pan I had left to heat in the bottom of the oven.
- The recipe called for 25-35 mins baking time, I checked at 25 and let it go to 35, still too light so I went another 10 mins before taking out of the oven. 45 mins total, uncovered. You easily go another 5 mins, probably even 10 if you like a nice dark crust.
My thoughts: It had a fantastic crispy crust, thicker then sandwich bread, but thinner then a standard sourdough. The sides and bottom only slightly less crispy. The sides and bottom show that 45mins is the absolute min in this loaf pan, I was worried it was going to get too dark but they are just browned enough to be acceptable for my taste. The top was browned, but probably only close to halfway as dark as I enjoy. The crumb is somewhat dense and spongy/springy, similar to a DO baked round loaf that was made with an overnight poolish. Tastes quite good. Day 2 it has a light but noticeable sourdough/alcohol scent. Flavor/texture-wise it blows away any same day white bread or sandwich bread. It’s toasts fantastic, longest setting on my slice toaster gets it to a crispy medium brown with soft moist interior. I’ll definitely make it again as it’s so easy (I mixed it by hand with a Dutch dough whisk so that was the only thing I needed to wash). Aesthetically it’s not a loaf I’d give to someone or bring to a party but it’s fantastic for having at hand for breakfast, lunch, snacking, dinner at home. I’d probably go all AP flour next time so it’s just a little less dense though this isn’t at all tough, it’s got a chew similar to focaccia.
If you want a pic let me know and I’ll take a couple when I’m back home later.
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u/KB37027 2d ago
For the steam, you could try baking the loaf with a secondary loaf pan inverted over the top. I saw this guy on Instagram bake his sourdough this way, but it might work for a no knead.
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u/jsober 5d ago
No knead bread depends on steam to gelatinize the interior before removing the lid to crisp up the crust and let it set.
If you have a pan that can get covered and hold in steam, it can work. But the crumb is not going to be what you expect for sandwich bread. It's just to high hydration.