A few years ago, the New York Times’ Mark Bittman introduced the world to “No Knead Bread“, creating a little culinary phenomenon across the country. People became tickled pink by the idea that you could create beautiful, golden-crusted bread without having to knead dough for an agonizing 10 to 20 minutes beforehand. (To date, Bittman’s article remains one of the NYT’s most popular articles!).
When Bittman helped revolutionize the bread-making process, I think some bakers and foodies snubbed their noses at a bread that didn’t require kneading or some serious arm work. I mean, you’d be upset too if you’d spent years trapped in a kitchen kneading dough to find out there’s a simpler way! A recent article in the New York Times set out to answer the question once and for all: does less work mean better bread?
In his article, Harold McGee “baked variations on the same loaves daily for a few weeks — firm and wet, kneaded and not.” Then he found a professional baker to weigh in. Their verdict: Wet, unkneaded doughs (think rustic, airy breads like ciabatta) do not benefit from extra kneading, but firm doughs (think sandwich bread) do. (It has something to do with strengthening the gluten networks or blending the ingredients…read the article for more deets).
So, I guess whether or not kneading is in your future depends on the type of bread your making. And, since I’m incredibly lazy when it comes to baking, I will be making the airy, rustic breads that require none! Check back tomorrow for my recipe for No Knead Bread with Olives and Parmesan.
(Image from the New York Times.)
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