October 24, 2012

Slow-Cooker Bread

Pinterest sparked the curiosity. An Aunt fanned the flame. I accepted the challenge. Bread in a slow-cooker?? No way.

I'm almost tempted not to post this. It completely undermines my attempts to convince you all to go buy a Dutch Oven. Okay, not completely, but it doesn't help!! Because the truth is, you can make fabulous bread in your slow-cooker. It's easy, quick(ish), delicious, and a great way to bake bread without turning on the oven!! I tried a few different batches to iron out some kinks, and give you lots of tips to make it work best. This is one of those times where I simply must say: Thank goodness for Pinterest!! I never would have dreamed this was possible without it.

Oh, and you also no longer have any excuse to be afraid of homemade bread, ever again. :)

Slow-Cooker Bread (from Artisan Bread in 5)
Printable Recipe

This is a half batch, enough for 2 small loaves
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 Tb yeast
1/2-3/4 Tb kosher salt
3 1/4 cups flour
*They also have recipes for other breads that you can bake the same way*

Stir water, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl, or container with a lid. Dump in the flour and mix together into a wet, shaggy dough.
Let rise, covered but not sealed (the yeasty air needs to escape) for 2 hours at room temperature. You can use the dough right after the 2 hours rising time, but I suggest putting the dough in the fridge for another hour first. My loaf rose better, and stayed nice and round when I used cold dough. You can keep this dough in the fridge for 2 weeks; use it anytime, and it will develop a bit of a sourdough flavor. Their original recipe makes enough dough for 4 loaves.
When you're ready to bake, turn your slow-cooker on to high (Mine worked better when it was preheated)
Sprinkle some flour over the top of the dough, and pull out about a 1 lb chunk (if you made a half batch, like me, it will just be half of the dough) Return the rest to the fridge.

Form a ball by tucking the sides in and under a few times, stretching the top surface of the dough ball. (They have a video of this technique here, it's important!)
Place dough ball on a sheet of parchment paper and lower into the slow-cooker. Cover and cook for 1 hour. (Some people have reported it taking up to 2 hours) It will be pale when it is done, and the outside will be slightly stiff, not hard and crusty.
If you want to darken/crisp up the crust, put the loaf on a baking sheet or stone and put in the oven under the broiler for 5-10 minutes. Let cool completely, and slice!
I like my crusts crusty, so I broiled mine. Lovely!
Now, it's hard to decide which I like better, this or the Dutch Oven Artisan Bread. I like the Dutch Oven bread's crust better, so crisp and crackly, BUT I have to admit that this bread is definitely softer.
I'm talking heavenly, pillowy soft. I'm really surprised how wonderful the texture turned out, actually! And great flavor, with such simple ingredients! Makes me wonder why we bother adding all that other stuff. Although I do want to try some variations of this one already...  :)
I think if I wanted to make a sandwich, I would use this, but for just eating with a bowl of soup and a saucer of olive oil, I'd go for the other.
There you have it! Bread in your slow-cooker. It does work!! This was actually the first time I'd pulled mine out in over a year. I really need to learn some new slow-cooker recipes. Anyone care to share your favorites??

52 comments :

  1. Fascinating! I've always wondered if this worked, ever since seeing it on Pinterest! I have a bread recipe I use that uses instant yeast - so you mix it all up without proofing the yeast, and then let it rise for about 25 minutes. I grind my own wheat first, so that increases the time to rise (though I don't know why). In the summer, I hate heating up the house, but I prefer to make bread with nice, friendly ingredients. I wonder if my recipe will work in a slow cooker. I'd like to see if it makes a softer, more sandwich friendly loaf!!

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  2. Yet another reason why I need to get a slow cooker! What is kosher salt exactly - could you use normal salt??

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    1. Kosher salt is a coarse, flaky salt. You can definitely use table salt, just use half as much!

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    2. Kosher salt has no iodine added. It is just pure salt. That is why it is used in pickling to prevent darkening of the.pickles.

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  3. This looks delicious. I will be baking it this weekend! My problem with this recipe is that my doing lays looks very watery. And my bread never rises very much. It tastes great but is. Little flat.

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    1. I have also had this problem before, my Fiance perfected a way of covering it with a towel putting it on our radiator and waiting out the bread, sometimes thats 2 hours sometimes thats 4 but if you just let it rise on its on you get a really great soft inside crunchy outside bread.

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    2. I make a lot of yeast dough and always had trouble with it rising until some one told me to try my heating pad. Place it under the bowl on low or medium, depending on the ambient temperature. I now have bought a longer one that I prop up around the bowl for winter time in my coolish kitchen

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  4. That bread looks FANTASTIC! I can't believe it came out of your slow-cooker!

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  5. I'm not one to get super excited over recipes.... but this just sounds brilliant!

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  6. Yay! You took my challenge! Now I'll have to try it. It looks fabulous. And, yes, I'm ALL for some great slow cooker recipes. Not the standard chicken w/cream of chicken soup type recipes that are fat and salt laden, mind you. Now, get to work!

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  7. I'm glad you tested this, because I was skeptical! Might have to give it a go myself...

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  8. I'll have to try that since it's so soft. I do Artisan Bread in 5 as well (I have the first book) but it's never sandwich-soft. Crock pot bread - who'd have thunk? (-:

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  9. Could You tell me what altitude you are at? I am at 7500 and need to adjust. Thanks Sheila

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    1. I'm at 5000 feet here in Denver. Sorry it took me forever to reply, I hadn't realized that whole "no reply blogger" think when you first commented!!

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  10. Wow, April, I stand all amazed! (NO pun intended!) Seriously this looks wonderful. I like it better crusty and brown, but I would never have dreamt that you could do bread in a slow cooker! I must try this out! Thanks for sharing!! xxoo

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  11. I am definitely afraid of making homemade bread, but I could make this!! Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday!

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  12. Totally going to try this! Wow!

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    1. I have never in my life heard of putting water in the bottom of a slow cooker/ crockpot. Are you trying to starta fire?

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    2. I think you may have misunderstood... I just set the dough on a piece of parchment and lowered it into the bowl of the slowcooker. Some people are concerned that having no liquid in a slow-cooker could damage it, so the site I got this recipe from says to put your dough in a heat-safe bowl, use a few balls of foil to prop it up off the bottom of the slow-cooker BOWL, and add a little bit of water under the bowl. We aren't actually putting any water into the actual cooker, just the BOWL of the slowcooker. Just like you would do with broth, or a roast, or soup, or anything. Make sense?

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  13. I've seen similar recipes and also a cautionary note about putting things into crock pots and slow cookers without liquid in the bottom. In fact I called Rival, the mfgr. of my red 4 qt. asked, and they said they wouldn't suggest it. Any thoughts on this April would be much appreciated.

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    1. I DID read that that can be an issue! I've made this a dozen times, and haven't had any trouble, but it would certainly be a good idea to check out options with your model. I found this recipe on a website that fully addresses this issue. They've never had trouble either, but some slow-cookers may! Better safe than sorry :) Thanks Christine! If you're worried, place the dough in a glass or metal dish, prop it up off the bottom of the slow-cooker with balls of foil, cover with a bit of parchment, and put some water in the bottom. Then go for it!

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  14. Thanks so very much! You've had the best advice I've found so far. It's brilliant! And I REALLY want to make this bread, thanks so very much! :)

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  15. Do you think you could use Bread Flour in the recipe? Anyone try it?

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    1. I don't see why not! It would probably just rise higher and poofier, and perhaps be a bit chewier. I'd love to hear how it turns out!

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  16. Newly following, can't wait to try this recipe tomorrow. I would love for you to check out my blog at www.iamcurlylocks.blogspot.com

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    1. Nice to meet you, Najeema, thanks for stopping by!

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  17. Made this today and it is fabulous. I added my own grown and dried herbs and the cooking process filled the house with a lovely rosemary/lemon baked bread scent. The bread is perfectly formed and evenly cooked. I only had to broil the top for about 4 minutes for a crispy brown crust.

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  18. do you think you could use whole wheat flour

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    1. I don't see why not! It probably would be a bit more dense, but if you're a whole wheat baker I'm sure you're familiar with the differences :)
      ~April

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  19. I hate to ask.....Tb =tablespoon? for me it is TBS sorry, I feel like a dork :(

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    1. Yep, it's tablespoon. Don't feel like a dork!! :)

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  20. I've been making the 5 minute Artisan Bread for several years, but haven't tried the slow cooker. Thanks for the info. Sounds good. And that loaf looks really good.

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  21. My slow cooker has a high or low setting. Should I cook the bread on high OR low? Thanks, sounds delish!

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    1. Cook it on high, and let your slowcooker heat up before you put the bread in. Good luck!!
      ~April

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  22. Hi, I want to make this tonight and don't have any parchment paper. Is there anything I can used instead? Thanks!

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    1. You can bake it in a greased, heat-safe bowl, just make sure you prop the bowl up off the bottom of the slow-cooker with something. Little balls of foil would work well. Good luck!! Although I always suggest having parchment paper around, its awesome stuff :)
      ~April

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    2. I wanted to get into this immediately, too, and realized I had no parchment paper! I've got about a gazillion square (about 10" X 10"?) tamale papers, though, and I think I can patch together a slow cooker lining of some type! That means I can't use water in the bottom of the slow cooker, though, and I'm afraid that spraying non-stick stuff in the cooker liner will leave a baked-on sticky mess. (Oh, well. I'm gonna have a mess, anyway!) I have a stainless steel bowl which fits perfectly into my slow cooker, and I think I'd prefer to bake in that because I can lift it out of the cooker with 2 sets of stainless tongs. Maybe could bypass parchment paper requirement that way...

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    3. If you use the papers you don't need any non-stick stuff. I didn't use any water in my slow cooker, just parchment. The bowl is a great idea though, go for it! Good luck :)
      ~April

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  23. Hi

    Is a broiler a grill? If I was to pop the loaf to crisp up in my oven, it only has a griller inside of it (heat from above)

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    1. Yes, if it's the heating thing on the top of the oven (inside) that's the same as a broiler. I've never heard it called a grill before! But it will work just fine :) Thanks for asking!!
      ~April

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    2. called a grill in Europe

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  24. I have been a bread baker for my family for many years but I have an oven on the fritz and has been for a very long time!I am delighted to try your recipe! I also appreciate your LDS link thanks.....

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    1. I hope it works out for you! I thought it was a little silly at first, but now I've realized how useful this recipe can be! I'm glad you enjoyed the link :)

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  25. Is it possible to make this gluten free? Beth D S

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    1. I have no idea... That's worth checking out! I've never baked with gluten free substitutes... If you HAVE, and know of a gluten free mix that makes good normal bread, I don't see why it wouldn't work... I wish I knew more about it, I'm sorry!! If you try it, I'd love to know how it works :)

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  26. Looking for a bread recipe that uses baking powder instead of yeast. Thanks

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    1. I know of muffin and biscuit-y type things that use baking powder... You could try my Irish Soda Bread recipe, but again, it's kind of like a scone-slash-bread... Good luck on your search!

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  27. Can you bake this bread in the oven ?? If you can what temp and how long. ? Thanks, Lilah

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    1. Um, I have no idea if you could bake this in the oven, baking it in the slow-cooker is kind of the whole point, but if you'd like a recipe very similar to this one for oven-baking, try the Dutch Oven Artisan Bread here: http://dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com/2012/10/dutch-oven-artisan-bread.html
      You don't actually need a dutch oven if you don't have one, there are lots of suggestions for other options in the post.

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  28. I tried it and it is great. Now I just need to come up with a GF version for me; but my hubby is happy!

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  29. Just so everyone knows, I've found it really helps the flavour to add a small handful of white sugar to sweeten it up :)

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