Zesty Oatmeal Bread |
Based on the article, it seems that you can use your crock pot or slow cooker to bake pretty much any type of bread, including pre-made dough. Although the original article claims that using a crock pot to bake bread is faster than using your oven, the comments and my experience indicate that the time it takes to bake in a crock pot depends on the type of bread you're making (denser, more moist doughs take longer), the size of the crock pot, and how hot the crock pot gets (the more you lift the lid to check on your bread, the longer it will take to cook). The main time-saver is that the rising time is incorporated into the cooking time because you place the raw dough into the crock pot before turning it on so that the bread rises as the crock pot warms up.
Baked but not browned |
I made the following oat bread recipe, which is more moist and dense than regular white bread, and first checked on it after 45 minutes, as recommended. It wasn't close to being done, so I let it bake an additional 15 minutes before checking again... and still not quite done, but closer. After 20 additional minutes, it felt done when poked it, despite the pale color, so I carefully lifted it out of the crock pot, slid it onto a baking sheet and placed it under the broiler for a few minutes until golden brown.
When I cut into the browned bread, it was just a tad underdone, which means I probably should have left it in the crock pot undisturbed for at least another 45 minutes after my initial check. After all, oatmeal bread is naturally more dense and takes longer to cook than regular white bread in a conventional oven. Nevertheless, my first attempt at crock pot bread was quite delicious--and the next day I used a couple of slices to make one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I have ever had. Without further ado, here is my recipe for Zesty Oatmeal Bread baked in a crock pot.
Ingredients
2 cups bread flour, plus more as needed
1 cup oat flour (see note)
1 envelope yeast (I use rapid-rise)
1/2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk (I use skim)
1/4 cup water
Topping: Garlic powder, red pepper flakes, dried oregano
Note: To make oat flour, I used my food processor to grind 1 cup of old-fashioned oatmeal into a coarse flour. Process longer for a finer flour. Or, you can substitute 3 cups of an oatmeal bread flour blend like the Organic Oatmeal Bread Flour Blend from Great River in place of all the flour (oat and bread).
Raw, ready to bake |
Just before covering |
Browned & ready to eat |
If you make bread in your crock pot, please leave us a comment to share your experience, and your recipe!
And if you want to win some FREE products from the Carolina Sauce Company, visit our Facebook page and leave a comment under the September Crock Pot Game post (look for a photo of our crock pot) for a chance to win! The game ends at 10 am EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 5th, so don't delay!
Zestfully yours,
Gloria
G'day! I cannot WAIT to try this recipe! TRUE!
ReplyDeleteNever made bread in a crock pot but am keen to learn and try it too!
What ingredients did you put on top before you baked? Thank you!
Cheers!
Joanne
Hi Joanne,
DeleteI'm so glad you liked the recipe! Please do let me know what you think after you try it. Before baking the bread, I sprinkled the top with crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano and garlic powder. You can use other spices and herbs to suit your preferences, and maybe even a little bit of grated parmesan cheese (I haven't tried the latter but think it should work). Thanks for reading my blog and taking the time to comment!
Zestfully yours,
Gloria
G'day and BIG thanks! As a friendly follow up today, I have RT'ed your recipe! And this is an AWESOME recipe that I would HIGHLY recommend people make!
ReplyDeleteHere is the wrote up and photos as "inspired" by you! A VERY big Thank you! Please let me know what you think too! :)
http://whatsonthelist.net/2013/04/18/oatmeal-amaranth-seeded-bread-cooked-in-a-what/
Cheers! Joanne
What's On The List?
http://www.whatsonthelist.net
I can't wait to make more of your recipes and share the word too! Thank you!
Good morning, and thank YOU for RT'ing my recipe, and sharing your version, which sounds fabulous! You've made my day :-) I'm looking forward to exploring the recipes on your blog, and will share your delightful Oatmeal Amaranth Seeded crock pot bread with my fans as well. Thanks again, and have a zesty day!
DeleteGloria