No Knead Marathon Bread Recipe (vegan, nut-free) | The First Mess (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put vinegar in no-knead bread? ›

Vinegar – I use my homemade apple cider vinegar but any vinegar will do, it helps create a better texture in no-knead bread recipes. Yeast – I use active dry yeast but instant will work too. Store your yeast in the fridge to help prolong shelf life.

It's easy to see the appeal of the “no-knead” approach in bread baking: minimal effort produces maximum flavor. By simply mixing up your dough and giving it an extended rising period, you can enjoy gorgeous, golden loaves without having kneaded a thing.

Usually your bread will be chewy when there isn't enough gluten formation or you're using a low-protein flour. Make sure you let your bread dough rest for at least 12 hours to give it enough time for gluten formation.

Classic no-knead bread (made with ¼ tsp instant yeast and 2¾ cups of flour) often tastes flat and dull. That lack of flavor comes from the yeast outpacing enzymes and consuming too many of the available sugars in the dough.

White Vinegar

White vinegar has the most neutral flavor, which is why I find it to be the best substitute for apple cider vinegar in baking. I know I can use it without any odd flavors showing up! I also always have a bottle of white vinegar on hand, since it's super cheap and versatile!

When just vinegar and yeast are mixed, vinegar's weak acid cancels out yeast's ability to grow.

Pros: Develops dough without adding additional flour (as with traditional kneading). Effective method, especially with slack doughs such as baguettes. Cons: Takes time and repetitions to master. Less effective with doughs that are either stiff or high hydration — best with medium-soft doughs.

You need to increase the moisture content and develop the gluten more. You can also add some vital wheat gluten to you all purpose flour, I use about a tablespoon to 3 cups of flour. Gluten is developed by kneading, if you are looking for a chewy bread, knead your dough longer.

Oil or flour your tin or baking tray

You can use olive or vegetable oil, lard or butter to grease your tine and prevent your loaf from sticking. If I am using a baking tray for a free form loaf then I will dust it with flour, rice flour or semolina to prevent any sticky bits of dough cementing themselves to the tray.

Over-kneading has a tendency to result in chewy bread. Here's how to tell if you've kneaded enough. Another possibility—you used bread flour when all-purpose flour would do. If a recipe with bread flour turned out chewier than you like, try it with all-purpose and knead only as much as the recipe directs.

How do you make big holes in no-knead bread? ›

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie.

I don't have parchment paper.

Another way is to place the dough directly into the (ungreased) hot pot. You have to be careful because the pot is very hot. Some recipes use a floured towel to rest the dough and you would use the towel to transfer the dough into the pot, letting it roll off the towel in to the hot pot.

Effective Use of Vinegar for Mold Removal

Vinegar is an aqueous solution that consists of acetic acid and other compounds. Acetic acid is a strong acid that can stop fungi and other microorganisms from growing, so vinegar is therefore antifungal and antibacterial.

Though the science is sketchy, a few professional pie bakers swear that it improves the texture of the crust, and they wouldn't dream of making pie dough without it. (Others swear by similarly acidic ingredients like lemon juice.) The acidic properties of vinegar inhibit gluten, some will say.