Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads [Hardcover]

Nancy Baggett (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For years, countless home cooks have shied away from baking their own bread because they were intimidated by all the mess, the experience, and of course, all the kneading required. Now, with Nancy Baggett's revolutionary new Kneadlessly Simple method, even complete novices can bake bread quickly and easily in their own homes, with no kneading and no kitchen mess. The secret is in Baggett's slow-rise method, which allows the yeast to grow slowly and develop the same full, satisfying flavor of traditional bread, without any kneading at all. The technique calls for minimal ingredients, often mixed in one bowl with one spoon, eliminating all the mess of traditional bread recipes, and it can be used to produce a wide variety of breads, from Whole Wheat Boules and English Muffin Loaves to Raisin Bread and Caraway Beer Bread. With this innovative new method, anyone who can read, measure, and stir can now make delicious, fine-textured yeast bread at home. This book will differ from others on the same subject because Nancy Baggett is an experienced food writer who understand home baker's needs. While techniques by other experts may sound similar, they still require messy dough handling. Nancy Baggett's technique is the simplest one yet, and it's virtually fool-proof.

Exclusive Recipe Excerpts from Kneadlessly Simple

Easy Buttermilk Pot Bread with Coarse Salt

Great Granola Breakfast Bread

Product Description

"Nancy Baggett has brought all her considerable baking and teaching skills to the table in her newest book, Kneadlessly Simple. Bakers always knew that making bread was fun, but now, with Nancy's help, it can also be surprisingly easy. She really gets the artisan principles of slow-rise bread baking and has created an easy method that will work for home bakers of all skill levels."
—Peter Reinhart, author of Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor

"Nothing beats the flavor and texture of good homemade bread, especially when it's made from a no-knead, no-fuss dough and it rivals the best artisan bread you can buy anywhere. That's just what Nancy Baggett gives you in Kneadlessly Simple—an adaptation of all the most up-to-the-minute methods for producing outstanding bread with little effort—you'll love it!"
—Nick Malgieri, author of The Modern Baker --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (February 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470399864
• ISBN-13: 978-0470399866
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #88,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #77 in

  Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Baking > Bread

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must try if you love homemade bread, February 2, 2009

By	Justin S (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads (Hardcover)

I don't write a lot of Amazon reviews, but this new book deserves it. I'm not sure I understand all of the science behind the technique, but I love the results. The recipes I've tried so far are the "pot breads," meaning that they're baked in a cast-iron pot with the lid on it, and the results have been impressively crusty loaves, even better than what I get in many bakeries (and far better than anything I can get in the supermarket). But what I think is most interesting is how the author gives so many options for rise time. If I'm busy and can't bake the loaf until the next day, I choose the long rise (anywhere from 4 to 24 hours, depending on the recipe). She is also gives 1- to 2-hour OR 2- to 3-hour rise options. That's what I like when I'm baking bread at home -- options. And as they title claims, there is no kneading involved. Again, I don't really understand the how's and why's here (though the author does explain it), but I really like not having a kitchen counter covered with flour. Yes, sometimes I think kneading can be fun, but most of the time I'm a little too busy for all the fuss (full-time job, teenage daughter, you get the idea). I'm excited to try the pizza dough recipe, because I love making pizza at home. And a friend made the Double Chocolate-Honey Bread (the photo in the book is gorgeous), and wow, it's amazingly good. I really think this book is worth a try.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great technique!, February 7, 2009

By	New to cooking and baking - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads (Hardcover)

As a new cook, this technique makes bread making easy. I always watched my mom make bread, and I thought it was too complicated. Now with Nancy Baggett's updated technique it's easy to make bread! I love the way that you can make the dough and adjust the rising time to fit your schedule. This way you can make the dough the night before, let it rise, complete a few more steps, and you have freshly made bread! The directions are easy simple and easy to follow. I can't wait to gather more ingredients so that I can make some more bread! Enjoy!

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Bread Book Ever, February 19, 2009

By	Kathryn Johnson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads (Hardcover)

Oh, my! This book is amazing. I have experimented with bread recipes from dozens of cookbooks over the years, drawn by the promise of yeasty aromas and a fetish for crusty, brown artisan breads. Very few of the results have lived up to my expectations. As my life grew busier, and time shorter, I shifted to bread machine recipes, but then all the loaves looked the same and few were as tasty as I'd hoped. A few weeks ago a friend told me about this book with its innovative techniques. I could toss the ingredients together at night before bed, she claimed, let the dough rise and (get this!) knead itself through my next work day...then when I got home all I had to to was crank up the oven, do a quick shaping in a pan for a brief second rise, and stick it in the oven. I've already tried three recipes, and every one turned out looking like the product of an artisan baker. Just beautiful! And the flavor of these breads is unbeatable. No more paying $5. a loaf at the local breadery. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves wholesome, fresh bread, whether they're an experienced cook or a beginner. The recipes are that easy to follow, and the results are extraordinary.