Slow cooker bread

Slow cooker bread!! 

Yay I did it,this post makes me proud, I also foolishly tweeted and instagrammed the bread making project as it happened. During that morning, I regretted doing it as I thought it would be a total disaster, a complete flop!!

But hey, I'm honest and wanted to catalogue the attempt both good or bad, it would have been an amusing post if it had had been a flat pancake or an exploding slow cooker!!!


So are you up for a challenge? I bet you can make it better as I just hurriedly chucked the dough in without any shaping expecting catastrophe!

 Its a strange feeling waiting to see if something will work especially as I usually google and pour over my own recipe methods to get something right for the blog.

Best of all I did not have to find a warm place to let the bread rise, the slow cooker took over that part too. oh and not to mention no hot kitchen from the oven!

I chose to make a Granary loaf, its a recipe I use from my teens, it was in our school recipe book, which is simplistic.

1lb (500g) Hovis Granary flour, (** US Conversion see below) 
1 tsp salt 
7g dried yeast sachet, all above mixed together, 
1 tsp of honey or sugar. 
I do use fresh yeast if I can talk Sainsbury's into selling or giving me fresh yeast.

Add in 300-325 ml of hand hot water,to make a workable dough and knead vigorously for at least 10 minutes. Chris did this as my broken finger means I have to wear rubber gloves to do any prep and it would have tasted pretty poor!

For US readers 1lb of bread flour is 4 cups
For liquid measurement 1 cup US is 240ml 
7 grams (0.25 oz) is approximately 2 1/4 US tsp but you probaly have the equivalent sachets for yeast for a 1lb loaf.

I doubled above recipe to make two 1lb bread portions, one for expected stand in if the first  failed,or I burnt it. I fully intend to try different breads now, larger loaves,rolls, soda bread even. I am most excited by this and fully intend to keep making it this way. 

The first one I cooked for two hours the second cooked faster, I think as the slow cooker was already hot.

95 minutes on high to cook in fact I've not browned this one as it looked golden enough for me.You may want a darker crust than I like.

The first went under the grill when it came out to brown up, the second I did not brown at all!

I used a Judge 5 litre slow cooker the one I have been reviewing. 

You can win a Judge slow cooker too
http://giventodistractingothers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/judge-slow-cooker-giveaway.html


I cannot see why any size slow cooker would not work (just ensure its big enough as the dough will double).

So the taste test, its amazingly good,as it should taste, the crust is softer more like a French loaf, or a dinner roll. 

The bread is not too heavy, and very moist.

I deem it perfect....phew!!

OK I will attempt to recap as I tend to waffle, please note I have no real definite method yet, its going to be a case of tweaking, checking the bread often and making a note of time cooked, bearing in mind different slow cookers, brands and sizes may take shorter or longer. Also different breads will have an effect I imagine, I expect white bread will be quicker.

Make your usual bread dough.

Line the slow cooker with parchment or greaseproof paper. Cut to your slow cooker size roughly coming slightly up the edges. 

Place dough into the slow cooker.

Turn on high and add the lid.

Check after 1 hour.

Then I set a timer for 30 minutes more (actually pressed the loaf after 1 hour 20, it seemed spongy still.

Another 30 minutes if needed and then I carefully removed bread from the slow cooker. 

This is tricky be careful as the slow cooker dish is hot,the bread slides well!!

Turn the loaf over, it should be golden brown.

I use the normal method to check if cooked, I tapped it and it should make a hollow sound.

Place bread under a preheated grill if you desire a browner looking crust. It turns very quickly.

If cooked place on a cooling rack and leave to cool.

Good luck and hopefully it has worked  for you, please let me know how it turns out!