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I made the speedy no-knead saturday! before heading out for the day I started the process, and then baked during dinner as a snack for everyone hanging out with drinks.

I'm an absolute beginner with breadmaking, as I've only made one other loaf "kneaded" in my vita-mix, so I don't have much incite to add.

I was suprised at how sticky the dough was, and, even though we ate is pretty much straight out of the oven, I thought it was a touch moist/doughy/heavy. I must admit I pulled it about 5 minutes early after removing the lid, as the bottom was in fact burning. Not incredibly light, but good.

I actually plan(ned) on doing a side-by-side taste test of the no-knead and speedy no-knead. But I ran out of flour. Maybe this weekend. Prep one Friday night, the other Saturday after waking up, and bake both that evening.

I made the wheat on Saturday. Took longer than the 45 minutes, but then again I covered it with foil for the first 15 because why would you do it with the white but not the wheat?
Anyway, it was tasty and dense and wheaty (even though I didn't use quite 2c. of wheat flour).

Also -- why wouldn't you let either of these recipes sit for longer than the 4 hours? The only change to the recipe is the amount of yeast, it's not like it's going to hurt it sitting for 6-8 hours instead.

I'm a huge fan of the "5-Minute" bread: http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/. It has rising time, too, but your hands-on time is truly minimal. And the dough lasts for a long time, so mixing up a batch once a week provides enough dough for four loaves spread over the course of the week.

Plus, it is delicious!

I made two loaves of the wheat over the weekend and was mildly dissappointed with them. I think the problem may have been that I was using active dry yeast instead of instant, but I did double the amount and bloom it before combining the ingredients. It just didn't rise as I'd hoped it would - the flavor was quite nice, though. I will, I'm sure, try it again - I'd really like to have a relatively easy all whole grain bread to bake on a regular basis.

I did the white last weekend. I thought it was so easy (even though the dough is really sticky) and I probably could have let it cook a little longer, but overall delicious. It was my first attempt at making bread.

I did the wheat and it didn't work at all. It rose swiftly, then fell in the oven and ended up dense, spongy, and super yeasty-tasting. We actually threw the rest out after having a taste.

I haven't tried it, but I never had luck with the faster versions from you guys, so I probably won't try this one either. I've had the best and most consistent results with the Cooks Illustrated adaptation (adds vinegar, beer, and a little bit of kneading).

If the bread falls in the oven, it must have been overfermented. That can happen if you either add too much yeast or let it rise for too long.

I made the whole wheat over the weekend and was mildly disappointed. I used the wrong yeast as well so it took longer. It makes great toast, however.

i've done the white version twice now. it does not rise very much, and i would prefer it a little less moist on the inside, but i still think it's delicious.

I too was disappointed with the whole-grain version. I substituted 1 cup of all-purpose flour for the rye flour and a half-cup of whole wheat flour, and replaced about two tablespoons of the water with honey. It came out leaden and not very flavorful. Toasting it the next day helped, but not enough to encourage me to make this again.

Seems like most of the people complaining about the recipes altered it somehow.

Perhaps the moral of the story is to follow the directions the first time, and once you get the hang of it then adapt it.

We baked the whole-wheat version (with locally grown flour!) and it was great! The corn meal does give it an interesting texture (a little like quick bread) and the crust wasn't as beautiful as the versions you bake in a dutch oven.

I made the whole-wheat version, but put in too much yeast (I never make the instant-to-active conversion correctly) and it fell. It still tasted GREAT! When I end up with short, ultra-dense bread, I just slice it extra thin and make 2x as many sandwiches. :) You can also dry it out in the oven and use it as a cracker. And, if all else fails-- bread crumbs.

I've tried all but the whole wheat.

Original.... I love this bread! (my husband thinks it's only ok... heathen.) Good crust... large holes in the crumb... great flavor.

In a hurry.... still great crust and crumb... flavor declines just a bit but don't let that stop you if you're pinched a bit for time.

Speedy.... Bittman's new Minimalist video a few weeks ago with Jim Lahey has you adding approx. 1/4 t. red wine vinegar. The recipe online does not mention that. Smaller holes in the crumb and you don't really get the large crack in the crust; the crust is a bit softer... flavor still declining. Again... better than nothing.

No-Time.... This is my hus's favorite. Really! He loves the yeasty flavor and the soft crumb... crust isn't bad... no cracks... just expansion rifts. I often make this on a day when I really haven't planned dinner. I'll make a quick soup (I don't do canned - too salty) and spend the time on the bread. You really should try this one if only to play with using the micro to rise the dough. I use instant yeast and add it with the flour... no proofing. It works fine... same amount as active dry. This one calls for balsamic vinegar.

I know I'm late on this post but I hope this encourages everyone to try these recipes... also very frugal in these economic times.

Oh... and I've done the Cook's Illustrated version too. Not bad but I prefer the looks of the original Lahey recipe. More free-form and rustic. CI is too round. I also didn't get the cracked crust I love so much.

.... maybe I'll try the whole wheat next.