Crock Pot Bread

The simplicity of a bread maker, using a crock pot that is already on your kitchen shelf, and the peaceful satisfaction of having fresh bread, "right out of the oven" as often as you like!

I must admit, I found the idea on Pinterest, but have adapted it for me!

Crock Pot Bread

You will need:

Your favorite bread recipe - I have gone through several favorites over the years, but currently it comes from here (with the tutorial to make it into crescent-shaped rolls here).  However, I have also used the recipe below, or this, or even this!  Most recipes call for Crisco and/or butter to begin with - they are pretty much interchangeable, so when I can, I try to choose butter.  I follow the bread recipe of choice through the first raising, then instead of shaping for rolls or a loaf pan, I shape a round loaf, flatten it a bit, and put it into the crock & turn it on!  The warmth of the crock will help the bread rise the 2nd time, and cook it.  Cook in the crock for about an hour - until the internal temperature gets to between 180* - 190* F.

Parchment paper - found in the grocery store, next to aluminum foil and wax paper.  Parchment paper is not wax paper, so don't use one for the other - splurge on yourself & spend the couple dollars and get parchment paper!  Put your bread on a square of parchment paper when you put it into your crock pot - no greasing the pot, no messy clean-up, just toss the parchment paper when you are done!

Your crock pot - The one shown above is a large, 5qt crock, but you can use whatever you have, as long as it has a high setting (crocks with on/off only are actually high/off).  In my crock, I have done 3 one-pound "loaves" of bread at the same time - the picture above is one 2 1/2 lb loaf.  Whatever - it still works fine!

Optional:  a thermostat - mine is actually for meats (if you blow up the picture & look carefully, it shows the various temperatures for rare, medium, and well done meats), but it doesn't matter - temperature is temperature!  I like mine because it has the red movable pointer that I can set to the temperature I want to achieve - when the black and red pointers match, it is done!  Bread is done when the internal temperature reaches between 180*-190*F.  Having the thermostat in the bread makes a strange hole where it goes in, but if you have some sort of crevice or fold, it can go there - otherwise, just accept that it has this strange dent in the bread!

NOTE:  This is not a set & forget recipe!  It will take about an hour, but you MUST remove the bread when it gets to the correct internal temperature - it will burn in a crock pot, if left too long (ask me how I know this!!)!

I splurged on myself a couple years ago & bought a wheat grinder - now I never buy grocery store flour!  I buy big bags or tubs of wheat & grind what I use!  This way, I get the entire grain, ground fresh and warm... perfect for bread-making!  I have used both Hard Red wheat and Soft White wheat - both are wonderful for making whatever I'm making!

When I make bread with my freshly-ground and warm flour, I add an extra Tablespoon (or packet) of yeast - Whole grain flour is heavier than white enriched flour, so you need a little more yeast to lift it.  I never use dough enhancer - partly because I never get around to buying it, and partly because I feel like my bread shouldn't need it - therefore, when a recipe (such as below) asks for it, I simply skip it!.

I like honey in my bread more than I like sugar - it has a sweeter flavor, and since it is not processed, your body can use it better.  However, honey and sugar are pretty much interchangeable in a bread recipe.

If you have never made bread before, and feel intimidated by it, I am here to tell you that it is incredibly hard to mess up bread!  It is a very forgiving process - if your bread doesn't raise well, try again & add more yeast - that's usually the problem.

A couple points that I always find helpful to remember:
 - when soaking the yeast in warm water at the beginning of the process, I add a spoonful of honey and some flour (to give the yeast some "food" to grow with) - in 5 minutes, my yeast bowl is usually overflowing and quite ready to pour into the big bowl.  The added honey & flour won't change the overall recipe, so don't worry about trying to figure out how much less to use when added later.

 - The total amount of flour added at the end is a guestimate - after a while, I don't even measure - I simply add what I need until the dough is at a soft stage (rather than adding so much the dough is hard).  Remember, its always possible to add more flour, but really hard to take some out after it is mixed in!

 - When its time to add flour, I add about half, and use a whisk to mix it really well into the liquids - this will end up with a consistency of cake batter.  Then I add in the rest of the flour & mix by hand.  I have used Kitchenaide mixers, Bosch mixers, Bread Makers, etc, and usually find that they knead the bread way too much for my taste.  So I do it by hand.  If you like your bread really light, then you might find that your favorite mixer will do the best job.  Someone always mentions that kneading by hand is a good way to get rid of your frustrations - but I really don't have any, so don't quite understand that phrase!  But if you do, you might find it useful!  lol!

 - If your kitchen is really cold when you are trying to get your bread dough to rise, there are a few options you might find useful - set your oven on low (as low as you can) & leave the door ajar.  Set the bread that is trying to rise on the stove above the open door (with the stove turned off) -or- bake a cake while the bread rises (your family will love you, and your waistline will continue the love/hate relationship with you!) -or- set your raising dough on your dryer while you dry clothes -or- set your dough next to your fire place -or- in a sunny window ... look around & find a warm spot that is, or can be created.

 - Often, I will place a damp cloth over the bowl of raising dough - the moisture from the cloth seems to help the dough raise in a happy way.

Remember, always make more bread than you think you need - 1) the first loaf won't ever get cool before it gets eaten, and 2) if you truly have more than you need, you can share with a friend or neighbor!  Sharing bread is a great way to start or enhance a friendship!

Storing your bread:
You must learn how much bread your family will snitch (before they get satisfied and the bread cools) to know how many loaves of bread you will need to make at a time.  I find that I must assume that the first loaf is a gonner.  Once you have slapped away enough hands that the bread can cool, let it cool completely, cut it, and put in a plastic bag (I like ZipLock bags for this, but I have known some great bread makers who actually buy (or reuse) bread bags!)  If you slice the bread before you freeze or refrigerate it, you will only have the bread crumb mess once instead of every time someone wants a slice of bread!  I will usually freeze the bread - it survives longer, and reheats easily!

Happy bread making!!!

Sonja’s Yummy Bread Recipe

6 C warm water

2/3 C canola oil

2/3 C honey

2 T salt

3 T dough enhancer

2 C white flour (high-gluten bread flour)

3 T yeast (fast instant yeast)

6-8 C fresh wheat flour

 Mix together; add flour as needed

Raise, punch down, & raise again
5 x 2# loaves or bunches of little rolls

350* for 30-35 min

180-190* internal temperature