Home | About | Contact
800.827.6836 | Norwich, Vermont

shopping cart

All discussions My Discussions
+ Add a Discussion
Cook27 badge: Community Member

Sugar in 5-minute No-knead Bread

I have been making Jim Lahey's 5-minute no-knead bread but I fins it is not sweet enough for my taste.
Could I add sugar or honey, etc. to the recipe or would it change the way the yeast performs?
If anyone has experience with this recipe, I would appreciate your help.

Tags: 5-minute Bread, no-knead, sweet bread

Replies to This Discussion

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save" to activate your changes.
pammyowl
  • Reply by pammyowl on February 20, 2012 at 2:37 am
  • badge: Pro Baker Group Member

Absolutely you can add a sweetener! It will give the yeast more to feed on. Yeast loves sugar, be it the flour/starch thing or honey/granulated sugar. Honey will not give as crunchy a crust as cane or beet sugar, though. I've never made this exact recipe, but generally no knead recipes follow the same formula.
Hope this helps!

easyquilts
  • Reply by easyquilts on February 20, 2012 at 6:29 am
  • badge: Community Member

Pammy..... I made the Five Minute a Day bread....once..... It just didn't have enough taste for me..... Do you think it would be OK to try again, but with a little sugar added? I baked it in a loaf pan, as I don't own a stone.

I remember being disappointed in how that bread tasted....... and wonder if anyone else had the same experience.

Sandy

pammyowl
  • Reply by pammyowl on February 20, 2012 at 6:53 am
  • badge: Pro Baker Group Member

If you didn't get much flavor, try adding a bit, say a half cup, of rye . You can't taste the rye but it really improves the flavor . Also, a bit of barley malt syrup does wonders.

Cook27
  • Reply by Cook27 on February 20, 2012 at 11:55 am
  • badge: Community Member

Thank you for your help. I guess that is my issue...there is no taste. It is very easy but the lack of butter, sugar, etc. doesn't result in great taste. I love the taste and smell of yeast in my bread but the 1/4 tsp. in this recipe does not provide that.
If I add sugar or honey, would that affect the 18-24 hour rising time?
What experiences have you had with the Jim Lahey bread recipe?
How does it compare to Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois's "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day".
Maybe, with your help and suggestions, we can improve the taste of this bread.
Thanks to each of you for your input.
It is Family Day in Ontario....gives us a nice February break and a long weekend.

pammyowl
  • Reply by pammyowl on February 20, 2012 at 5:58 pm
  • badge: Pro Baker Group Member

http://youtu.be/7_kmSalsNgM

This guy says to up the salt. Adding sugar would not make any difference to the proofing time, to my knowledge.

easyquilts
  • Reply by easyquilts on February 20, 2012 at 8:41 pm
  • badge: Community Member

I just happen to have somy rye flour in the fridge.... Thanks for the tip.

Sandy

mumpy
  • Reply by mumpy on February 20, 2012 at 9:59 pm
  • badge: Community Member

is this the kind of dough you leave in the fridge till you want some, then grab a hunk, shape and bake it?....i've tried some of these and find they're much better after 4 or 5 days in the fridge.

pammyowl
  • Reply by pammyowl on February 20, 2012 at 10:07 pm
  • badge: Pro Baker Group Member

I agree, it does improve with age. The recipe we were discussing is more of a twanty four hour one.