Why Does My No-Knead Bread Have Large Holes In It?

Our answer

Nigella's No-Knead Bread (from COOK, EAT, REPEAT) does not require kneading but instead has long proving times. It also is a fairly wet (high hydration) dough and these doughs can tend to have larger holes than doughs with less liquid content.

The two most likely reasons for holes in no-knead breads are that the dough didn't prove for long enough or the utensil that was used for baking the bread or the oven were not hot enough. For no-knead breads the bubbles of carbon dioxide are not always distributed evenly in the dough, so the second proving phase is important as there needs to be enough time for the yeasts to become less active and the gases produced to settle. If they are still active when the bread goes into the oven then the gases will expand, causing large holes. Before you bake the bread after the second prove, push an edge slightly with your finger. If it leaves a dent then the bread is ready to bake. If the dough feels firm or springs back then it may need slightly longer to prove. The pot used to bake the bread needs to be very hot, hence a long preheating in the oven. It should also be made from a material that will give an even heat. This initial blast of heat helps the bread to rise. However, if the heat is uneven then the gases in the bread will also expand unevenly, giving large holes in the bread.