Average Joe Artisan Bread Kit
$49.99 $̶6̶8̶.̶0̶0̶ 26% off List Price
Wow.
Assuming you’ve already got the stockpot, here’s how to do it for nothin’. You don’t need bread flour; AP is fine. You don’t need fancy salts (although the 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt in the recipe is a bit too scant; try 1 3/4 or so). There’s a tiny amount of yeast to get it started, but the whole point of the recipe is that your dough gathers wild yeasts right out of the air. And if you search Google for bittmann no-knead bread variations, you’ll get plenty of info about whole-wheat, rye, the works. It’s a remarkably forgiving and adaptable recipe and, as Bittmann stresses repeatedly, you’re missing the point if you even try to make two loaves come out the same.
A $3 Chinese made pot and a bag of flower for $50 on sale. Amazon really is milking it.
Artisan and average together? Is that like gourmet ice milk?
[QUOTE=editorkid, post:3, topic:385441]
Wow.
Assuming you’ve already got the stockpot, here’s how to do it for nothin’. You don’t need bread flour; AP is fine. You don’t need fancy salts (although the 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt in the recipe is a bit too scant; try 1 3/4 or so). There’s a tiny amount of yeast to get it started, but the whole point of the recipe is that your dough gathers wild yeasts right out of the air. And if you search Google for bittmann no-knead bread variations, you’ll get plenty of info about whole-wheat, rye, the works. It’s a remarkably forgiving and adaptable recipe and, as Bittmann stresses repeatedly, you’re missing the point if you even try to make two loaves come out the same.
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I recently acquired this kit, as a way to branch out into real bread making instead of just using a bread machine. The kit’s instructions are very very easy to use. They also come with fairly detailed illustrations , and explanations for different stages of bread making. The pot is kind of handy for making bread instead of using pans. The ingredients are cool especially the different types of salt. Is the kit worth it? I dont know, the pot may be worth the price, and you do get enough basic ingredients for 3 loaves. The instructions are cool to have. I think this would be an interesting gift to give to someone who is looking to get started into breadmaking instead of buying him a fancy breadmachine. You do not need a mixer to make dough, as long as you are willing to actually use your hands. Overall I think its a nice starter kit, and you do get a versatile pot out of it.
Yea, the no knead bread and pizza doughs are awesome.
I make one of them like once a week. Mostly I’ve been doing pizza -
500 grams AP
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/2 C water
1 /12 tsp salt
24 hour first rise, 2 hour second before forming into pizza.
Also, I’ll roll into tubes and make a loaf.
Often I’ll refrigerate half the dough after the first rise/punch down for several days before using it again. Nice flavor.
[QUOTE=editorkid, post:3, topic:385441]
Wow.
Assuming you’ve already got the stockpot, here’s how to do it for nothin’. You don’t need bread flour; AP is fine. You don’t need fancy salts (although the 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt in the recipe is a bit too scant; try 1 3/4 or so). There’s a tiny amount of yeast to get it started, but the whole point of the recipe is that your dough gathers wild yeasts right out of the air. And if you search Google for bittmann no-knead bread variations, you’ll get plenty of info about whole-wheat, rye, the works. It’s a remarkably forgiving and adaptable recipe and, as Bittmann stresses repeatedly, you’re missing the point if you even try to make two loaves come out the same.
[/quote]
Agreed. $50 just to bake some bread is INSANE.
Agree that $50 for a pot, some flour, and bread recipes is really ridiculous. However, disagree with above posts that AP flour is just as good as bread flour. That’s likely true with mediocre AP and Bread flour, but if you use high quality bread flour (e.g., King Arthur and flour from better mills), the difference in rise and crust due to the increased protein is more than noticeable.
I make no knead bread all the time. Not too sure I’d trust the process to a pot that looks like it should be steaming tamales.
Cast iron makes killer no knead bread. Ditto clay bakers (Romertopf or Le Cloche are awesome). MUST have a lid that fits and be heavy/durable enough to handle the extreme high temps needed to bake it right.
And yeah, while you CAN use regular flour, I add a 1/2 tsp of vital wheat gluten when I have to use it. Using true good quality bread flour really does make a HUGE difference in the crust as well as crumb.
Oh…and look into kevlar oven gloves too. Removing a lid that’s 475 degrees isn’t for normal pot holders.
Y’all are gonna make WD really sad.
Amazon + Woot! = Ronco?
Can only imagine the profit margin on this cheap pot by itself at $25.
http://www.amazon.com/Average-Joe-Bread-Pot-Artisan/dp/B007921DXA
For those who haven’t thrown any of these types of light-duty pots out, a knock against the stove is enough to dent the metal and chip the coating. Then bam, it’s rusty trash.
[MOD: To be fair, don’t forget to add in the $7.99 shipping. And the bread kit looks to be $32.]
$50 for some pot? Hey…
Back to bread - Use King Arthur flour. It is superb!
298x378
Check out this thorough review over at thefreshloaf.com
I think you just want somebody else to spend 50 bucks for a pot and some flour.
[QUOTE=ThunderThighs, post:11, topic:385441]
Y’all are gonna make WD really sad.
[/quote]
Sorry T-Thighs. ATK did a show on just this subject. (American Test Kitchen.) Simple IS the easiest.
Just use a simple Cast Iron, Dutch Oven, with a lid. (Lodge makes some KILLER ones.)(Lodge also made my favourite {!} skillets, with the “!” on the bottom. Who has that logo?)
Follow their recipe, or go from scratch. I do it all the time. KILLER crust, and, the taste, to KILL for. Try whole-grain flours. Try strange flours. Just try!
steve
$55 for 3 loaves of bread. Yep - sounds about right under the current administration.
I love that someone deliberated for 7 minutes before deciding this $5 pot and buck fiddy in flour was “a good deal” at fifty bucks plus.
But it comes with awesome instructions - 'cause, you know, making bread is a lost art and all…
SMH… People really will buy anything.
Agree that $50 bucks for bread is insane because the ingredients are pennies and this “recipe” is all about the 24 hour mix and wait. A good enameled cast iron 5-6 quart Dutch oven will run you about the same cost but arguably has superior cooking utility versus steel. Pass!!!
[QUOTE=zonkerrob, post:12, topic:385441]
Amazon + Woot! = Ronco?
Can only imagine the profit margin on this cheap pot by itself at $25.
For those who haven’t thrown any of these types of light-duty pots out, a knock against the stove is enough to dent the metal and chip the coating. Then bam, it’s rusty trash.
[MOD: To be fair, don’t forget to add in the $7.99 shipping. And the bread kit looks to be $32.]
[/quote]
I was commenting only on the sucker markup between the world market price of this pot and the pretty-labelled price of $25. Adding shipping would have unfairly skewed the info in my point’s favor.
Bread kits are showing up at $15, $23.44 shipped (to me):
Honestly, this looks good to me. I don’t have a cast iron dutch oven or covered pot to bake in, I don’t know the first thing about baking bread, and it’s worth having everything in one package so I can figure out what I’m doing. $50 is a bit high for my budget this month but I’m still tempted. Getting everything together like this means I’m much more likely to use it as opposed to buying a pot, flour, salt, yeast, etc. separately at separate times and letting it all sit in my pantry until I forget about it.
Just my $0.02…