rbv

open pit recipe? Here's a recipe someone posted elsewhere, when someone asked for an "open pit" taste-a-like. I can't vouch for its (taste) authenticity. Hope it works for you. You'll probably have to adjust for the low-carb profile. Good luck, if you try it. # “Open Pit†BBQ Suace 1 bottle beer 1/2 c. vinegar Juice of 4 lemons 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. sugar 1/2 c. tomato paste or ketchup Hot sauce to taste Cook slowly for 1/2 hour with tablespoon of butter.

Nope, I use Firefox also (on Windows XP) and it's working fine for me.

Here ya go... Sure, GSW. Here's how I do the No-Knead recipe, modified from the NYT article. I use 4 1/2 cups of King Arthur bread flour, 1 1/2 teasp. kosher salt, 1 cup of my sourdough starter (it's about the consistency of a THICK pancake batter), and 1 1/2 cups of water. As I don't consistently bake, I usually re-activate my starter a few days ahead of time, to get it perking along pretty good. I mix everything in a large plastic bowl, using a large wooden or metal spoon. I cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in my proofing box and proof at approx. 70 degrees F. I usually let it go overnight or even 18 hours...it doesn't seem to matter, but I want the mix really bubbly. The mix is alot wetter than anything I ever made before. It's stiffer than a batter, but way too wet to knead. When it's ready for the next step, I flour my hands up really well and punch it down and more or less work it a bit. I then spray a smaller plastic bowl (approx. the same size as the dutch oven I'll bake the bread in...perhaps 8 - 10 inches in diameter and 6 - 8 inches tall) with Pam or a no-name equivalent. I give the dough a final attempt at shaping it, but it's really not something I can "work" and flop it into the bowl. Back into the proofing box until it's doubled in size. This stage usually takes somewhere between 3-5 hours, and sometimes I just lose patience and decide it's "good enough". While the dough is doubling, I place the dutch oven and lit into the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees F. When the dough is ready, I carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven, remove the lid, and kind of flop/pour the dough into the hot dutch oven. The dough will actually sizzle as it hits the hot cast iron. Put the lid back on and everything back into the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 min. remove the lid, and bake for 15-30 min. longer. A few notes: When I put the dough into the dutch oven, I usually give it a shake or two to kind of settle it into place. If the dough has really risen well, it sometimes bumps into the lid of the dutch oven with the oven spring, and compresses the dough. So, when I think of it, I cut back on the flour a bit, or if I've forgotten that, I try and remember to remove the lid of the dutch oven a bit earlier. I have to admit that even if I forget everything and the dough bumps into the lid, the loaf still tastes great, it just doesn't have quite the magazine cover appearance of an artisan loaf. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I use the San Francisco sourdough from Sourdough International and have excellent luck with it. It's a nicely sour dough, which is what I enjoy. And, have to say that the crust is delicious, and the bread NEVER seems to go bad...takes forever to dry out, and I've never had a loaf go moldy. Any questions I haven't covered, please let me know and I'll try and explain my "technique" better. My grandmother used to make this one-pan cake, she called Wacky Cake. This bread reminds of that...it seems way too easy and goes against almost every bit of bread-making expertise I've ever read. No true kneading...no "window-pane" effect in the flour...it's more Easy-Bake Oven than I could have imagined.

No Knead Sourdough I've been using the No-Knead technique with sourdough starter since I read the NYT article. It's incredibly easy, and as you said, I get the best crust I've ever had. I'm looking forward to trying it on the KK. I've never read "The Bread Bible", but Sanny's criticism is one I've read about Reinhart. In "Brother Juniper", everything is SLOOOOOWWWWW. As Sanny mentioned, my grandmother made bread start to finish (many loaves) in one day. The nice thing about the No-Knead technique is that it's more less a set it and forget it kind of thing. I did notice that the Sourdough International website has a new recipe posted for bread using the No-Knead technique; but, I haven't looked it over yet to see how it compares to how I've been doing it.

Peter Reinhart's Book I have another of Reinhart's books ("Brother Juniper"). It's a great book. Many wonderful recipes and insights. In addition, his "American Pie" book has received great reviews, so that's my next purchase. I've heard lot of good things about the book you're getting also. Hope you'll keep us up to date on your progress. Originally, I'd planned on building a wood-fired oven, but then came across ceramic cookers and realized that for the same money, I could have a multi-functional device to handle bbq, baking, grilling, smoking, and everything else I might decide to try. So, the wood-fired oven plans have been discarded. But, one half of the Alan Scott book was about baking bread. His co-author is a physician, I believe; and, describes alot of what's going on in the bread-making process. Lots of great information. Good luck with the natural leavening process!

Similar to what you're trying The book "The Bread Builders" (http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Builders-Hearth-Loaves-Masonry/dp/1890132055/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-0818797-2395962?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176084175&sr=8-1), not only provides details on building your own wood-fired oven to bake bread, it also discusses baking bread. I don't have it with me (I'm on vacation), but I believe they explain a bread called "desem", where the starter is initiated by forming a moist ball of flour and then sticking it into a bin of flour to attract local organisms. Can't recall all of the details, and I apologize if I have them wrong, but if you're interested let me know and I'll get back to you. Good luck!

Sourdough starter I'm always eager to hear others' experiences with bread (esp. sourdough) or pizza on the KK. I haven't tried sourdough there yet (still waiting for Dennis to make the new stone available). I've experimented with various methods of getting a starter in the past with various amounts of success. The best luck I've had is with the "San Francisco" starter from Sourdoughs International. I've managed to keep it going for several years with practically no attention. The book, available at the website, is the best explanation of sourdough use I've come across. His description of how to re-activate an ignored starter is easy to do and works perfectly for me every time. http://www.sourdo.com/ Once I get the new (bigger) refrigerator, I'm anxious to try some of the other starters he has available.

For those of you who prefer charcoal... A friend of mine pointed me to this website. Pretty cool, until the local authorities decided he wasn't licensed to use explosives... http://digg.com/general_sciences/Real_Men_Cook_With_Liquid_Oxygen_-_Video

Dennis suggested I check with the members of the forum for what grout sealer to use on a KK. My KK is unsealed; and, as I live here in the cold and wet of western Pennsylvania I want to seal the grout. Your insights are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

We'll be heading to Asheville, NC and then on to Charleston, SC at the end of the month for a weeklong vacation. I'd love to hear any suggestions for good places to eat in either city. Thanks for your recommendations.

I agree with Firemonkey on the size of the bags, 40-50# seems reasonable. The vacuum packaging sounds like a great idea! And, I'm afraid you're probably right...this is likely the slow season in my neck of the woods for charcoal. I'm guessing that mid to late April is probably better than early March.

No problem, Dennis. Crowbar and saws available. I'm sure it will be worth whatever effort uncrating it requires. I can't wait for afternoon...if it wasn't so cold and wet, I'd be out at the mailbox, looking up and down the road for the truck. The anticipation just enhances the whole experience. Went out and bought 40 lbs of Humphrey's lump charcoal yesterday, just to be ready. Thanks for EVERYTHING, Dennis.

Well, the trucking company (UPS Freight) promises me that their liftgate truck is available for Friday and will be delivering my cooker, sometime between Noon and 5PM (just like the cable company with their approx. time of arrival). I've got the camera batteries charged and the patio shoveled clear of snow. I know I have to tighten the hinge spring, but is there anything else I should know about when it arrives? Or is it just get it outta the crate and have at it? Thanks for any advice. Rick

Congratulations on a pretty impressive first year of the Forum. I'd have to say that the success is pretty much a reflection of the tone set by Dennis and KK. It all comes from the top. Here's to an even better second year and beyond!

Here it is. I read that 1 1/2 cups water is better, Recipe: No-Knead Bread Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting ¼ teaspoon instant yeast 1¼ teaspoons salt Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed. 1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. 2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. 3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger. 4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Yield: One 1½-pound loaf. (someone already posted the recipe at: http://www.slashfood.com/2006/11/16/no- ... the-world/