Yesterday I decided to make a loaf of bread with a difference, it is cooked in the slow cooker. Being skeptical I couldn't resist the urge to give it a go.
I found a recipe on Pinterest, and proceeded to make it. I changed up the process by using my bread machine to make the dough for me while i went on with other tasks.
I followed the recipe but it asked for a 1/3 cup of sugar which i thought was to much as in my own bread recipe I only use 1 teasp which is needed to make the yeast active.
After the bread machine had finished its job of mixing, kneading and proving the dough, I then put it into the slow cooker (in a ball shape & sprinkled rosemary on top) which I had lined with some baking paper lightly sprayed with cooking oil. The lid was placed on top and then turned onto high. I set a timer for 2 hours and walked away.
After 2 hours it was cooked. The top does not turn brown but the bottom does. After it cooled some i cut a slice and we tried it. As suspected it was way to much sugar, the bread was very sweet. The texture was great, its is a more dense texture then my normal homemade bread but its a great way of making bread without a bread machine.
Here is the tweaked recipe and instructions to make it with or without a bread machine.
Ingredients......
I sachet of yeast
3 cups of plain flour or bread flour if you have it.
1 1/2 teasp salt.
2 teasp sugar
2 teasp of cooking oil of any kind
1 cup of tepid water.
(not hot or cold, yeast needs it tepid to grow. To warm and it will die)
Method.....
Place water and sugar into a bowl and mix to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved mix in the yeast and let it sit for 15 mins. After this time you should start to see the yeast beginning to look foamy.
Then add in the oil & salt, combine all together.
The next step now depends on whether you are using a bread machine on dough cycle or using a mixer or making the dough by hand.
Bread machine...put all the flour in set to dough cycle and start, just check if it needs more water after it is combined....
Electric mixer or hand mixing....
Adding half the flour to start with combine it all together, then add the rest of the flour. Keep mixing or at this stage using you hands until it all comes together. I found it was a little dry and this will depend on your flour but if it needs more water add 1 tablespoon at a time until it becomes a nice smooth dough, slightly sticky is fine.
If using a mixer that has a dough hook keep it mixing for around 10 mins until it looks nice and smooth.
If kneading by hand....put in onto a lightly floured bench top and knead until it forms a nice smooth ball, usually 10-15 mins. (Search youtube for how to knead if your not sure.)
Next step...take the bowl you mixed the dough in and coat the bowl with oil, place the dough in the bowl and roll it in the oil until its coated, cover in plastic wrap then a tea towel and place in a warn spot until it has doubled in size about an hour or so.
Once it has doubled in size, gently punch it down and form a ball shape ready for cooking.
Place baking paper in the slow cooker lightly sprayed with oil then place the dough on top. Top the dough with anything you like, I used rosemary, but you can use anything you like. Put the lid on and put onto high setting, put on timer for 2 hours and walk away :)
After 2 hours, use the baking paper to lift it out onto a cooling rack, let it sit for 20 mins before cutting a slice.....enjoy xx
Please post a comment below if you make the bread, let me know how it turned out and which method you choose to mix it.
