Has anyone tried any of the no-knead bread recipes (Jim Lahey/Mark Bittman, "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day", or Cooks Illustrated) that have been so popular these last couple of years?

I have used the no-knead bread formula and process created by Jim Lahey of the Sullivan St Bakery and made famous by Mark Bittman.

I have had mixed results from my efforts, mostly good but I have had a few problems. First problem was taste; I increased the salt to 1 1/2 teaspoons to improve the taste, my first loaf was rather bland but it is still not all it could be...as I'll explain in a bit. Second problem is getting the rather wet dough carefully into the HOT pot without deflating it deflated dough results in deflated, deformed or flat loaves. The improved technique in the next version can be used with this recipe to eliminate this problem. Third problem is size of pan; I use my 5 1/2-quart Le Creuset pot with the handle removed I made my first loaf in my 8-quart Le Creuset pot, the pot was too wide and made a rather flat loaf. the 5 1/2-quart pot makes a taller, better loaf in my opinion. All-in-all I like the technique. It creates a European-style loaf with an extraordinary, crisp, crackly crust. It has a good crumb, is chewy, has lots of wholes and has a good, rich flavor. I would recommend giving the recipe a try. I have posted photos and a recipe review of my efforts on BigOven No-Knead Bread recipe # 162432, posted by vogelap.

That being said, I now use a new and improved version of this technique. Almost No-Knead Bread or No-Knead Bread 2.0 is an improved version developed by Cooks Illustrated. It is found in the January-February 2008 issue of Cooks Illustrated or on their web site. I will be posting this recipe on BigOven after I make it again and have photos. The Almost No-Knead Bread recipe uses beer and white vinegar to make the bread taste even better with somewhat of a sourdough flavor I really like it. This recipe also lowers the hydration slightly and gives the bread a bare minimum of kneading to compensate. You knead the dough 10 to 15 times, shape it into a ball, then let it rise on greased parchment paper in a skillet (the skillets shallow depth works better than a bowl). When ready to bake, simply use the paper's edges as handles to pick up the dough and gently lower it into the  HOT Dutch oven the bread then remains on the parchment paper as it bakes.  All-in-all, less problems, more consistent results, same great crust, and even better taste than the original Jim Lahey version...in my opinion anyway.

I found that all-purpose flour works fine with both versions of this bread making technique; I also had good results with both a whole wheat and a rye version.<

[edited May-13-2008]

[edited June-20-2008]

Yes, I get about the same crispy, crackly crust from both the Lahey/Bittmann and the CI techniques. The reduced hydration doesn't seem to be enough to cause much of a difference when baking inside the small enclosure of a Dutch oven. If you were baking the bread in an open oven, I'm sure there would be a different result. In the Dutch oven, the hydration in both recipes produce enough steam to create great crusts. I believe CI reduced the hydration to make the dough a little easier to handle.

I like and still use both the Lahey/Bittmann and the CI techniques. Since I increased the salt in the Lahey/Bittmann recipe I have been very happy with the bread and its flavor. And, I now use the greased parchment paper technique from the CI method with the Lahey/Bittmann method for ease of handling the delicate wet dough. When I'm in the mood for more of a sourdough flavor, I use the CI recipe.

I have not yet tried the "Five Minutes a Day" technique, so I can not comment on it. I do intend on trying it at some point, just haven't yet. I have the artisan boule master recipe but I do not yet have the cookbook "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois...I plan on buying it sometime soon.

[edited May-16-2008]

[edited June-20-2008]

[edited June-20-2008]

I've decided I like baking at a lower temperature for a less damp loaf.  The crust does seem to come out tough, though.  I am really looking for an easy sourdough bread, and I am discovering there are tradeoffs.