Make Bread in your crock pot

If you’ve read the title of this blog and thought WHAT, that sounds wild, then you are in the same boat as I was when I first heard about it! When I see or hear about an idea that just blows my mind, I have to try it! Throughout my life, and especially since becoming a mom, my slow cooker has become an essential kitchen appliance. That, and an air fryer - but that’s for another post.

The Differences 

Ok so of course, oven-baked bread is the traditional route and there’s a reason for that. Baking your bread in the slow cooker will definitely not turn out the same as it does in the oven. However, how great is this when it’s too hot to have the oven on? So great.

The slow nature of a crock pot heating up will allow your bread to all cook at the same rate, whereas the oven blasts heat to give the crispy crust. If your family likes soft-baked bread without the crunchiness of a crust, this method is for you. Though you can also run this in the broiler quickly after to get the crisp, see below. Your bread may also not rise into a perfectly rounded loaf, as it usually would in the oven. Again, this technique is not necessarily comparable to oven-baked bread, but it sure will be a convenient tool to have in your arsenal. 

And, if you are bored or need a new activity for the kids - enter this project.

Tips for Success

• Patience. It is going to take some trial and error before I figured out the right technique for making the bread to our desired texture. Give yourself some grace and make sure to buy extra ingredients just in case you need to start over.

• Have an instant thermometer on hand. A baked loaf will have an internal temperature of 190°F to 200°F.

• Run loaves under the broiler for a crisp crust if you’re not a fan of soft bread.

• You can use a small pan or parchment paper - it just has to fit into the slow cooker!

How To:

1. Make your favorite bread dough via whatever recipe you’d like. THEN you will shape it in the crock pot. See below.

2. Shape your loaf into your favorite round or loaf pan (make sure it will fit in your crock pot). OR - put the shaped dough on a square of parchment paper. (If you're baking the bread in a pan, there's no need to use parchment)

3. Lift into the crock pot: Lift the loaf by the parchment and set it in the middle of the slow cooker. Try to flatten the parchment as much as you can. Or, put the pan in there. Cover the slow cooker with its lid. 

4. Set to HIGH

5. Bake for 1 to 2 1/2 hours: Baking time may vary. For first timers, check the loaf every hour, followed by every half hour.

6. Bread is done when temperature reaches 190°F to 200°F.

7. Broil for a few minutes (3-5) in the oven if a crispy crust is desired

Have you tried this yet? Let me know!