Almost No-Knead Bread

From America's Test Kitchen Season 9: Breadmaking, Simplified

The no-knead method of bread making first came to our attention in an article on baker Jim Lahey in the New York Times. The article claimed that Lahey’s method produces artisanal-style loaves with minimum effort. Lahey uses two approaches to replace kneading (the mechanical process that forms gluten, which gives bread structure): a very high hydration level (85 percent—meaning that for every 10 ounces of flour, there are 8.5 ounces of water) and a 12-hour autolysis period that allows the flour to hydrate and rest before the dough is kneaded. After the dough is briefly kneaded, it is placed in a Dutch oven to bake; the Dutch oven creates a humid environment that gives the loaf a dramatic open crumb structure and crisp crust.

However, as we baked loaf after loaf, we found two big problems: the dough deflated when carried to the pot, causing misshapen loaves, and it lacked flavor. To give the dough more strength, we lowered the hydration and gave the bread the bare minimum of kneading time (under a minute) to compensate. We also figured out a way to transfer the bread without doing any harm to the shape of the loaf—using a parchment paper sling. To solve the lack of flavor, we needed to introduce two elements that a starter adds to artisan breads: an acidic tang with vinegar and a shot of yeasty flavor with beer.