No knead bread problem

[sigma957]

I am having a problem with no knead bread. I have a cast iron dutch oven I use for the baking. I make the bread, first rise is fine and normal, The second rise is not as good and the bread in the oven doesn't rise and make a nice round loaf. It's got nice air pockets and it tastes good, but its about 2 inches high at the side. I usually use yeast in the bottle. Had some that was older, tossed it and bought a new one. Then I bought packets, and still no good. I've proofed the yeast and it's working. I've made regular type sandwich bread for years and it comes out great. The recipes have all be the basic standard type you find everywhere on the web. Any ideas of what I'm doing wrong? The dough seems the right consistency, based on the recipes and youtube videos I've watched to 'see' what it should look like. Thanks.

 

[chassis]

Please post the recipe and procedure here. Thanks.

 

[sigma957]

From king arthur flour

ngredients​

• 7 1/2 cups (900g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3 cups (680g) water, lukewarm
• 1 tablespoon (18g) salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (14g) instant yeast or active dry yeast

Instructions​

1. The flour/liquid ratio is important in this recipe, so measure carefully. Your best bet is to weigh the flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, or a large (6-quart), food-safe plastic bucket. For first-timers, "lukewarm" means about 105°F, but don't stress over getting the temperatures exact here. Comfortably warm is fine; "OUCH, that's hot!" is not. Yeast is a living thing; treat it nicely.
3. Mix and stir everything together to make a very sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds. If you don't have a mixer, just stir-stir-stir with a big spoon or dough whisk until everything is combined.
4. Next, you're going to let the dough rise. If you've made the dough in a plastic bucket, you're all set — just let it stay there, covering the bucket with a lid or plastic wrap; a shower cap actually works well here. If you've made the dough in a bowl that's not at least 6-quart capacity, transfer it to a large bowl; it's going to rise a lot. There's no need to grease the bowl, though you can if you like; it makes it a bit easier to get the dough out when it's time to bake bread.
5. • Cover the bowl or bucket, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or for up to about 7 days. (If you're pressed for time, skip the room-temperature rise, and stick it right into the fridge). The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it'll get; if you chill it for 7 days, it will taste like sourdough. Over the course of the first day or so, it'll rise, then fall. That's OK; that's what it's supposed to do.
   • When you're ready to make bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour; this will make it easier to grab a hunk. Grease your hands, and pull off about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough — a 14-ounce to 19-ounce piece, if you have a scale. It'll be about the size of a softball, or a large grapefruit.
   • Plop the sticky dough onto a floured work surface, and round it into a ball, or a longer log. Don't fuss around trying to make it perfect; just do the best you can.
   • Place the loaf on a piece of parchment (if you're going to use a baking stone); or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the bread moist as it rests before baking. Drape the bread with greased plastic wrap, or cover it with a reusable cover.
   • Let the loaf warm to room temperature and rise; this should take about 60 minutes (or longer, up to a couple of hours, if your house is cool). It won't appear to rise upwards that much; rather, it'll seem to settle and expand. Preheat your oven to 450°F while the loaf rests. If you're using a baking stone, position it on a middle rack while the oven preheats. Place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.
   • When you're ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2" deep. The bread may deflate a bit; that's OK, it'll pick right up in the hot oven.
   • Place the bread in the oven — onto the baking stone, if you're using one, or simply onto a middle rack, if it's on a pan — and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly.
   • Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown.
   • Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack.

 

[retired baker]

That first rise is burning it out,
The second rise is making sure it has zero possibility of working, there's no yeast left by the time it hits the oven.

With lukewarm liquid you should limit the first rise to 60 minutes.
For the second rise don't go beyond 20 minutes.
Get it in the mold and give it another 30 minutes, bake.

There's nothing wrong with the yeast, I made bread with 2 year old yeast last night.

 

[chassis]

75% hydration is a challenge to work with, especially when the gluten is not developed as is the case with no-knead.

I confess to not being a fan of no-knead.

Reduce hydration, knead the bread to develop gluten, and reduce total fermentation+proofing time as noted above. The recipe appears to be no bueno.