Can I bake a bread in a slow cooker?

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Mimen

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I have a 7 litre slow cooker and heard you can bake bread in it,; is this true? If so, I have a braai at my house coming up and would like to make a garlic,y, cheese,y , herbyiesh bread if someone has a recipe for me please.
 
Any reason you want to do this vs. using an oven?

Anyway, basic bread recipe:

â—Ź 500g flour
â—Ź Packet of yeast
â—Ź Salt

Mix the dry ingredients.

â—Ź 2 cups lukewarm water
â—Ź 2 Tbsp oil
â—Ź 1 Tbsp honey

Mix wet ingredients and add slowly to dry ingredients.
Helps to cut back on the water slightly and add more as necessary.
I prefer a dough that's slightly too wet than one that's too dry.
Give it a good knead / beating with a wooden spoon to develop the gluten.

Let rise in the bowl covered with a cloth for 1 hour +.
Transfer into baking tin and allow to rise again until it's at the top of the tin.

Bake for around 40 mins @ 180.
Should have a nice hollow sound if you knock on it.
If it feels wet inside remove from the tin and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Flavorings (herbs, nuts etc) are usually added with the dry ingredients.
 
My slow cooker doesn't brown things so maybe you end up with steamed bread? I dunno.
 
saor said:
Any reason you want to do this vs. using an oven?

Anyway, basic bread recipe:

â—Ź 500g flour
â—Ź Packet of yeast
â—Ź Salt

Mix the dry ingredients.

â—Ź 2 cups lukewarm water
â—Ź 2 Tbsp oil
â—Ź 1 Tbsp honey

Mix wet ingredients and add slowly to dry ingredients.
Helps to cut back on the water slightly and add more as necessary.
I prefer a dough that's slightly too wet than one that's too dry.
Give it a good knead / beating with a wooden spoon to develop the gluten.

Let rise in the bowl covered with a cloth for 1 hour +.
Transfer into baking tin and allow to rise again until it's at the top of the tin.

Bake for around 40 mins @ 180.
Should have a nice hollow sound if you knock on it.
If it feels wet inside remove from the tin and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Flavorings (herbs, nuts etc) are usually added with the dry ingredients.
Click to expand...

Tell you what mate I make any thing from roasts to yogurt in my slow cooker ;) Made some Breyani in mine last night, it kicks an oven's ass six/love point, period.

There is a massive difference in texture of the foods you cook in a slow cooker compared to conventional cooking.In winter I make stews after which I add dumplings kicks some serious butt.
 
saor said:
Any reason you want to do this vs. using an oven?

Anyway, basic bread recipe:

â—Ź 500g flour
â—Ź Packet of yeast
â—Ź Salt

Mix the dry ingredients.

â—Ź 2 cups lukewarm water
â—Ź 2 Tbsp oil
â—Ź 1 Tbsp honey

Mix wet ingredients and add slowly to dry ingredients.
Helps to cut back on the water slightly and add more as necessary.
I prefer a dough that's slightly too wet than one that's too dry.
Give it a good knead / beating with a wooden spoon to develop the gluten.

Let rise in the bowl covered with a cloth for 1 hour +.
Transfer into baking tin and allow to rise again until it's at the top of the tin.

Bake for around 40 mins @ 180.
Should have a nice hollow sound if you knock on it.
If it feels wet inside remove from the tin and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Flavorings (herbs, nuts etc) are usually added with the dry ingredients.
Click to expand...

This is for normal oven @180.
I am sure a slow cooker will be longer, like 2 hours or even 3.
But, as op wants to impress his friends, first make a tester and report back
And added to this recipe, add some cheese on top after wards
 
wizardofid said:
Tell you what mate I make any thing from roasts to yogurt in my slow cooker ;) Made some Breyani in mine last night, it kicks an oven's ass six/love point, period.

There is a massive difference in texture of the foods you cook in a slow cooker compared to conventional cooking.In winter I make stews after which I add dumplings kicks some serious butt.
Click to expand...

My favorite winter food.
 
Robertvv said:
This is for normal oven @180.
I am sure a slow cooker will be longer, like 2 hours or even 3.
Click to expand...
Yeah - wasn't sure if they were looking for a regular recipe failing getting a slow cooker one.
Slow cooker idea looks cool though - hope they post some pics of the bread when it's done.
 
Thanks for the recipe wizardofid, it is easy and I could only find ones on google with a "special twist".

Ill have to google a bot more on how to do it in a slow cooker.
 
Mimen said:
Thanks for the recipe wizardofid, it is easy and I could only find ones on google with a "special twist".

Ill have to google a bot more on how to do it in a slow cooker.
Click to expand...

Wasn't my recipe ;) I do have a bread recipe, that kicks this one in the face :D ;) I make it so often I measure it by eye :D

However if you are going to bake a bread in the oven, you need to brush on some sugar water before removing it from the oven for the final 10-15minutes to get it that extra crispy crust and colour.

However I don't bake with yeast, I bake with potato yeast, unfortunately, you are limited in what you can bake with potato yeast as you can't handle the dough as it take about 4 or more hours for the dough to properly rise, which is why a slow cooker is perfect for it.
 
I dont have an oven in my house and use my convection setting on the microwave for that. Doesn't always work as well as an oven but, if you ave a 7 litre slow cooker you dont really need an oven. I'm discovering more and more things you can move from the oven to the slow cooker. Spo, if you have a small kitchen like me, use the space for the oven for pot drawers and get a slow cooker.

wizardofid I agree, my oxtail in the slow coocker kicks but, beats the hob version hands down.
 
I would never use a slow cooker to make bread, because your temperature controls are so imprecise. I don't like to use a bread maker either, tbh. Bread pan and oven works fine for me.
 
cerebus said:
I would never use a slow cooker to make bread, because your temperature controls are so imprecise. I don't like to use a bread maker either, tbh. Bread pan and oven works fine for me.
Click to expand...

I beg to differ. ;)

Have you ever baked a bread on a braai, then you should be aware how imprecise the heat is, I have baked both upside down pineapple cake, white and chocolate cake, as well bread on a stove top with nothing more then a standard pot and lid, okay a lie
used a special lid 1043691_111011113858_11-10-2011_(10).JPG

Could likely do it with a standard lid as well the object of this lid is to let heat escape.Slow cooker has a basic low and high heat setting, and it constantly regulate those temps, to not dip below or above it too much.

Considering heat is transferred from bottom and side and if you keep the lid on it has enough heat on top, while it would generally take a bit longer to bake the texture of the bread is entirely different as well as taste, the bread volume is also likely to be much better meaning as much lighter bread.

It all comes down to knowing exactly what the temp is and adjusting baking time accordingly, if you don't have the manual any more, simply filling the slow cooker with water waiting till the water starts boiling you can insert a thermostat and get a exact temp.

So yeah slow cooker temp is hardly imprecise, stove top and braai on the other hand is....
 
Mimen said:
Thanks MiW, I didn't realise a Crock Pot is a slow cooker in my English!! Investigating it now!
Click to expand...

me neither...this is my slow cooker.

7098212075205179215$84B8FC06.jpg

Evidently, the big flat cast iron pot I've been calling a Dutch Oven is also a slow cooker :)
 
Wizard makes violent food.

Time to get my slow cooker out again. Gotta try this bread thing!
 
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