Mother's Bread Recipe (no kneading)

Mother's Bread Recipe (no kneading)




3 cups of flour
1 ¼ tsp salt
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ tsp yeast
1 ½ cups of tepid water


In a bowl, mix first ingredients together.
Add yeast and water, dilute.
Add to flour mix, stir until mixed


Put in the refrigerator for 12 hours
When ready, place on a floured surface and fold in four. (do not oil dough).


Place dough in a deep dish ,cover, cook for ½ hour then take lid off and bake for 10 minutes.


Everyday my mother makes her bread fresh this way , it is simple and very tasty. Does anyone make bread like this ? Just curious......

One more thing (sorry)....PREHEAT OVEN TO 500 F, Place dish in oven to heat 5 minutes then place dough in dish and cover , follow through on cooking time, half hour then uncovered for 10 minutes.

I don't know much about nor have ever made no-knead bread. And, never even heard about it until the last few years. It's interesting to find out tha the technique goes back at least as far as the previous generation of cooks. I'd mistakenly thought it was much newer.

With the very small amount of yeast in it, and the slow, retarded rise, her recipe seems like it may have overcome the weakest aspect of no-kneads -- too yeasty.

I'm looking forward to trying it sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Let me see if I've got the last part straight: Allow the dough to rise for 12 hours (roughly, overnight).

Next, use a "French fold" (two envelope folds, i.e., 3 x 3) instead of punching down (and presumably retaining as much lift as possible in the dough).

After folding, place the dough in its baking vessel, cover, and begin baking immediately. That is, you don't allow the bread to proof again after folding? All of the rise after folding is "oven spring?"

Thanks,
BDL

Petals...This sounds like an easy, good bread. Definitely want to try this. The only bread I have ever made is foccacia and I thought that was easy! When you fold in four, what do you mean by that? Do you or your mom ever add seasoning (sesame, rosemary, etc.)?

When she takes the dough out of the dish , its put on a floured surface. I am sure you can add just about anything to this.


Chef BDL,

Yes, that is right, its not punched down, it is "gently stretched out far enough" , folded like an envelope and then put into a heated baking dish and cooked for thirty minutes, then ten minutes with the lid off.

" That is, you don't allow the bread to proof again after folding?" RIGHT.

She makes it sometimes with whole wheat or just white flour , today she mixed the two flours. This recipe is usually doubled when I make it.

Now I have always loved the "process" of making bread , what I mean by that is the kneading part, reminds me of days when I watched my grandmother make 12 loaves at a time with flour in the air.

But this recipe is not messy ,so easy, tasty, and I might add a bit chewy.
There is a bread made here in Montreal called Premiere Moisson, which is famous for their bread . The same texture and taste is in the recipe my mother makes. When you decide to make this, please let me know how it tastes. Following site is the bread company I was talking about.

Première Moisson | L'art du vrai!

My mother barely touches the dough....today I made it, mixed it with a wooden spoon until it was mixed, sometimes you can use your hands ....(like me, who has to touch everything)
The oven MUST be preheated at 500 with the dish inside, then bake covered for 30 minutes then ten minutes uncovered.

Thank you so much for asking about it....

Sounds pretty interesting. I would love to try it out.

I do a very similar recipe. Here's a link to mine.

No knead bread. - 24hourcampfire

I read your link, it is VERY similar......I must confess that it does save alot of time. The thing with these recipes is that its a "No Fail" recipe. But bread is a very "personal" thing. Not everyone likes the same type of bread and texture.

Glad you posted the link , and yes I use a doubled recipe as well, but cut the dough in two. Never did a whole one like that....I will try it.

Thank you

Phaedrus, You must try it ......

I only use the double recipe for the oval Le Creuset. If I go with a round pot I use a half recipe that is similar to the Bittman/Lahey method although I use some dried buttermilk. If you opt for a round loaf and utilize a second rise It works very well to not only use the parchment but to set the loaf inside a cast iron pan as per America's test kitchen as it helps the loaf keep it's shape.

Much of the recent chat about no-knead bread began when Mark Bitman wrote an articel about Jim Lahey's bread in the NYTimes. Jim Lahey owns Sullivan Street Bakery in NYC. When it first appeared I was very skeptical. Lahey now has bublished a book entitled My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method. I would have remained a skeptic had the publisher not sent me a copy. I'm still not quite sure why they did, but with book in hand I gave it a shot. WOW! I'm still playing with the basic version but there are countless variations in the book.

His process is as described here; very little yeast, 12-18 room temp fermentation, 'shaping', 2 hour proof. 45 minute bake at high temp. To create a simulated brick oven you preheat a 5 qt. enameled dutch oven and place the proofed loaf in it to bake. The bread is remarkable.