Tried the 'no knead' bread method for a week straight and my sourdough was flat

I followed a popular online guide to the letter, letting the dough sit for 18 hours each time. The crumb was always too dense and the crust was weak compared to my usual 10-minute hand knead routine. Is there a trick to making no knead work, or is it just overhyped?

2 comments

2 Comments

caseyrivera2d ago

Ever think it's about the flour? No knead recipes need a really strong flour to build that structure without working it by hand. Your usual bread flour might not cut it... try one labeled for high protein or even add a little vital wheat gluten. That long rest time can over-weaken weaker flours, leaving you with a flat pancake.

emerys551d ago

Wait, can weaker flour really get wrecked by long rests? I always blamed my shaping skills. But @caseyrivera's point about the long rest over-weakening the gluten makes so much sense now. I switched to a high-protein flour last week and my loaves finally have that tall, open crumb I was missing. Total game changer.