The Unkneaded Bread

Simple and easy bread recipe where you don't even have to knead the bread!
We used only local, organic ingredients to bake this bread, because it tastes better and supports the local economy as well as the global environment!

Ingredients:
1 oz yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups lukewarm water
4 cups flour
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel
LOVE <3 (most important ingredient)

Feel free to improvise with whatever seeds and spices you can find locally and seasonally!

Step 1 Collect the ingredients

The best thing to do, which is also what we did, is to collect some local organic grains from a local organic farmer. We did the grinding of the grains ourselves and made sure the grinder was on the finest level of grinding.

We got the pumpkin, sunflower and fennel seeds as well as salt and yeast locally!

Comments

[ortsa]

Is this a joke? This bread is more horrible looking than my worst fallures and atleast they didnt taste like pure yeast which im sure this will.

[etw]

Interesting. Unfortunately in all the many breads that I baked, only very rarely did it taste better than store bought bread. To be exact, ususally it tasted worse.
I have tried many different recipes and flours, but usually when it is freshly baked, it does not have that nice smell of freshly baked bread, but a somewhat 'stale' oudeur.

I am really about to give up. Anybody any suggestions?

I mean, basically it just should be flower, yeast and water. That is what the local italian restaurant uses and their bread is fantastic

[pfirsch]

For bread, you need flour, yeast, water, and SALT. Maybe that's what's been keeping your bread from being great?

[etw]

Thanks pfirsch, but ofcourse I used salt (just forgot to write that down). As said I followed many recipes and they all mention salt, but still, the best of my breads is still inferior to the cheapest of supermarket loafs

[pfirsch]

Have you tried the no-knead bread by Jim Lahey? That's the only recipe I use for bread now. I passed it on to a German guy and even he likes it; Germans tend to be very particular about their bread.

Recipe: http://www.sullivanstreetbakery.com/recipes
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU

[etw]

I tried to no-knead bread, which I think was Jim Lahey's, but it might have been Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois' Boule recipe (Artisan Bread making), as Jim Lahey's is the one you do in a cast Iron pan I think.

The Lahey and Hertzberg recipes are very much alike, with Lahey only using less yeast (and therefore a longer rise), well, that may make a difference in taste and I will try it, but still, generations of bakers have made bread in a non Lahey method, resulting in the various recipes that I tried, mostly resulting in the tasteles breads I described.

Tried bread maker as well, same result, tried different brands of flour and yeast, all disappointing.

Anyway, I think I'll try the Lahey recipe, once I find a cast Iron pan (years ago I threw out the old buggers, inherited from my parents, only to need them now).

Anyway, Thanks, I'll try and will report back. Still wonder though what I did wrong with all the other tries.

[timbit1985]

We can't help with your bread woes unless you post a method and recipe :)

[pfirsch]

Well, be sure to let us know how it turns out. Maybe you could get someone to watch you and give you some tips. For the record, you can make the Lahey recipe without a cast iron pot, but everyone says the cast iron makes a difference. I actually don't have a cast iron dutch oven, but the bread always turns out OK.

[etw]

I'll try that then without ;-)

[etw]

Tried it. Consistency good. Taste better than what I was used to. Had some problems with rising (it mad a great flat bread) but it might be a recipe I'll do some moe with.

Thanks

[pfirsch]

I'm happy that you finally found success! The rise may be related to your pan/pot size.

[Postscript624]

So why doesn't your recipe call for letting the bread dough rise as long as one's I found googling? I personally have had fantastic results with your methods (oh such tasty results...), but what would be my gains if I let it rise for 20 hours, instead of the 1.5 I give it now?

[Siljestam]

The recipe calls for 1-2 hours since it's meant to be quick and easy, the sort of bread you start baking in the afternoon and then eat for dinner.

Still, you can let the dough rise longer, sometimes I let it sit overnight. I've added those options in the instructions, thanks for commenting!

[mogg]

It looks really good, how does it compare to kneeding? If you kneed the dough, it gives you a better texture because you form glutine, which is like elastic, and stops large bubbles forming. Even if you fold the dough after it has risen, let it rise again,you should notice the difference.  Great instructable guys, love the local sourcing! (^^)

[macrumpton]

Google "no knead bread" and you will see that you can get awesome texture without kneading, rivaling the best artisan loaves. Gluten develops just fine by giving the yeast plenty of time to do its thing, typically 12-18 hours depending on the temperature and amount of yeast you start with.

[suckrpnch]

 I am not expert, but salt and yeast don't mix well, it might help your rise if you add the salt to the dry ingredients and let the yeast proof in the water without it (perhaps with a little locally gathered honey). 

If you want to make this recipe lighter, you can add "vital wheat gluten" or cut it with some bread flower (high gluten). Of course... I am not sure how to do that locally... :)

What did you use to grind your grains? I would really love to try that.

[wenpherd]

I dont knead this bread (hehe)

[boumboum]

Have you ever tried using whole wheat flour? Is it possible or too heavy?

[Siljestam]

We used whole wheat flour this time, you can see the whole wheat in the first step before and after grinding :) It definitely becomes more solid bread and you get full without having to munch down all of it, so my recommendations for that, although it also tends to swell less.

[lemonie]

Looks heavy, but I've bought stuff like this, it's good to know how to make it... mmm. L

[ChrysN]

Looks delicious!