How to make bread in your slow cooker

We love having freshly baked bread. So nice to see steam rise as you make that first slice and the inside of the bread begins to cool to the outside air. Then spreading butter over that fresh, warm slice, watching the butter melt and ooze into all of the little valleys of the bread’s texture.

You can enjoy fresh, homemade bread too with this simple and easy slow cooker bread recipe. Whether you have a busy schedule or are a bread lover or just want to try something new, this recipe is for you. You don’t need to plan far in advance to make this. Just make sure you allow for enough time earlier in the day to so that you have a fresh, warm baked loaf ready to go by dinner time.

While we are providing you with a basic bread recipe, you can apply this technique to other dough recipes too.

SLOW COOKER NO-KNEAD BREAD

Ingredients:

– 1/2 teaspoon quick rising yeast
– 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1 1/2 cups very warm (but not boiling) filtered water (about 100° F)

Directions:

– Into a large mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast and salt. Pour in the hot water and combine well using a rubber spatula. You can use cold water, but it will take longer to rise. Using filtered water also helps with the rising process. The dough will be sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 3 hours, or until the dough has risen. It will have bubbles and still look a little soft and wet.

– Place dough on a well-floured surface. You will need to use a spatula to separate it from the bowl, as the dough will still be very sticky. Sprinkle a little more flour on the top of the dough just enough to keep it from sticking to your fingers. Give the dough a few folds, forming it into a ball.

– Place the formed dough ball onto a piece of parchment paper. Do NOT use wax paper for this. Lift the parchment paper and dough and place into a 4-quart slow cooker. A taller slow cooker will result in a taller bread because slow cooked breads do not rise in the same way as they would in an oven.

– Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until the internal temperature reads 190° – 200° F. Check the temperature after 90 minutes if this is the first time you are making bread in your slow cooker. You will soon learn how long it takes your slow cooker to bake the perfect loaf.

– Slow cooker bread makes a soft outer layer. For a browned crust, simply toss it into the broiler for a few minutes. Remove when the crust is lightly browned to your liking.

– Let bread cool before slicing.

Note that all slow cookers are not the same, and that the age and amount of use of your slow cooker can impact the outcome of your bread, so you may need to play around with settings and consider rotating the bread once or twice. Good luck!