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Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads by Nancy Baggett
Book Summary InformationAuthor: Nancy Baggett Edition: Hardcover Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Published: 2009-02-03 ISBN: 0470399864 Number of pages: 240 Publisher: Wiley
Book Reviews of Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead BreadsBook Review: The best no-knead book out there! Summary: 5 Stars
I've been baking bread for 30 years, and have bought numerous books on the art of bread baking, from the post-hippie Tassajara and Laurel's bread books, to the standard tomes from Beard, Clayton, Hensberger, to the more recent "artisan"-inspired books from bakers such as Reinhart, Bertinet, and Berenbaum. More recently I have explored the no-knead breads of Lahey's NY Times recipe and those of "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes." As my life has become busier and I have less time to bake bread, I've mostly had to leave off creating loaves in the traditional method of kneading and baby-sitting multiple rises. In the past few years, in an attempt to keep homemade bread on my table regularly, I have relied on the bread machine to knead and rise (but not bake) my loaves, and this has been a great solution. But I feel as though it all has been leading to Nancy Baggett's new book on no-knead bread. Now, having homemade bread everyday is no longer a struggle. The ease of her method -- just a few minutes the night before making the bread, and rarely even any shaping of the loaves -- means even my busiest workweek can accommodate making a delicious loaf.
While I enjoyed the idea of "Artisan Breads in Five Minutes" and can recommend that book with some caveats, the method resulted in having a great deal of dough in my fridge and that didn't really work for my small family of two. Also, I found that if I made a "normal" size loaf the results would often be somewhat gummy. And the smallish loaves that book produces were just not enough to last the workweek or to serve at a dinner of friends. Baggett's method suits my needs much better, producing generous loaves with no gumminess or heaviness. Her book also offers an amazing variety of breads, from artisan to old-fashioned white loaves to dessert breads. I have made about a dozen of the recipes, and not a single one has failed or been less than delicious, which is no surprise, as I found Baggett's recipes from her The All-American Dessert Book and The All-American Cookie Book have also yielded consistently delicious results. I love the County Fair White Bread, the Everyday Oatmeal Bread, and the Buttermilk Pot Bread, and my current favorite in the book is the English Muffin Bread, which makes the most amazing crunchy toast and grilled sandwiches. I'm looking forward to trying the sticky buns and the various rye breads next.
An added bonus, and the thing that really clinches the deal and makes this a 5-star book, is the final section in which Baggett offers tips on converting any favorite bread recipe into one using her method. I tried converting my favorite Peter Reinhart pizza dough using her method, and the result was amazing. Now I can more easily bake up any of my favorite bread recipes!
The only slight flaw I've encountered is that one aspect of the author's method requires adding enough flour to make a stiff dough after the initial long rise. Initially, I was unsure of the consistency Baggett was describing; so stiff I couldn't stir it?, or just stiff enough that it isn't batterlike? And the instructions to "pour" the dough into the pan seemed to add to the confusion, as often the dough seemed too stiff to pour out of the bowl by itself. Since enough flour is needed to avoid a heavy, gummy loaf, this step is crucial, therefore this aspect was a cause for concern. But after making a number of loaves I think I've hit upon the right consistency. Anyway, whether I was doing it right or not, the loaves still turned out uniformly excellent. Perhaps the author has made a demonstration video that's out there somewhere that illustrates the right consistency of the dough. That's all it would take.
Overall, I can highly recommend "Kneadlessly Simple" for bread bakers of all kinds -- from the novice to the expert -- and for bread lovers like me who love to bake and have a great loaf always on hand but who have little time to spare.
Summary of Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead BreadsThe ultimate guide of super-simple no-knead bread recipesFor years, home cooks have shied away from baking their own yeast bread because they were intimidated by the mess, expertise, and kneading required. Now in paperback, Nancy Baggett's revolutionary Kneadlessly Simple lets even complete novices bake bread quickly and easily in their own homes, with no kneading and no mess. Using the author's simple and effective technique, these recipes call for minimal ingredients and can usually be mixed in one bowl using a single spoon?with amazingly good results. A wide variety of breads are provided, including Crusty Sourdough Boules, English Muffin Loaves, pizza dough (and companion sauce recipe), Caraway Beer Bread, and much more. - Perfect for inexperienced bakers and busy home cooks who don't have the time for kneading and kitchen clean-up yeast breads usually require, as well as budget-conscious consumers who love homemade artisan bread flavor, but not artisan bakery prices
- Author Nancy Baggett is the bestselling author of 13 cookbooks
- Includes 73 foolproof bread recipes for comfy classics like Cinnamon-Raisin Bread to contemporary favorites like Rosemary Focaccia
Nothing beats a loaf of fresh, warm-from-the-oven bread. Kneadlessly Simple lets even novice cooks create fragrant, full-flavored loaves without any specialized equipment, mess, or kneading. For years, countless home cooks have shied away from baking their own bread because they were intimidated by all the mess, the experience, and of course, all the kneading required. Now, with Nancy Baggett's revolutionary new Kneadlessly Simple method, even complete novices can bake bread quickly and easily in their own homes, with no kneading and no kitchen mess. The secret is in Baggett's slow-rise method, which allows the yeast to grow slowly and develop the same full, satisfying flavor of traditional bread, without any kneading at all. The technique calls for minimal ingredients, often mixed in one bowl with one spoon, eliminating all the mess of traditional bread recipes, and it can be used to produce a wide variety of breads, from Whole Wheat Boules and English Muffin Loaves to Raisin Bread and Caraway Beer Bread. With this innovative new method, anyone who can read, measure, and stir can now make delicious, fine-textured yeast bread at home. This book will differ from others on the same subject because Nancy Baggett is an experienced food writer who understand home baker's needs. While techniques by other experts may sound similar, they still require messy dough handling. Nancy Baggett's technique is the simplest one yet, and it's virtually fool-proof. Exclusive Recipe Excerpts from Kneadlessly Simple  Easy Buttermilk Pot Bread with Coarse Salt |  Great Granola Breakfast Bread |
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