Bread in the slow cooker

I'd love to give it a go ! Would you share how it's done Grannyknot ?

Hi N&G - happy to share info, it was really easy. Someone had told me about it, so the first thing I did was Google. The pitfalls are: that slow cookers differ. Mine is a Crockpot so it gets pretty hot.

I simply bought a packet of Bread Mix from Tesco (seeded in this case but will try others),*turned the slow cooker on to heat up*, made up the bread mix according to instructions, I then put it in baking paper inside another dish (in my case Pyrex but next time will try a tin), put a piece of crumpled foil in the bottom of the Crockpot, added a tablespoon of water, stood the Pyrex dish on top of the foil, covered it and left it for 3 hours.

It's soft and tasty and I really don't need a top crust (it has a browned bottom crust). Here are the two websites I followed (but there are lots if you literally Google "making bread in the slow cooker"):

www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-bread-in-the-slow-cooker-192421

www.food.com/recipe/couldnt-be-easier-slow-cooker-bread-112579

The first time I tried it it flopped, because (a) I couldn't get my head around it that you don't need to "prove" the bread so (2) I couldn't wait and opened the slow cooker too soon for a peek. Result was a brick.

By "covered it" ^^ I mean put the lid on the Crockpot. Also I realise I didn't finish where I wrote about pitfalls, what I mean there is that it depends on the heat of the slow cooker. Some of the websites suggest testing with a thermometer whether the bread is cooked, I didn't bother, it looked cooked to me.

Also, it needs to "rest" after you take it out, to cool and dry out a bit more.

I'm very excited because the bread I made today is delicious.

I'm going to check this out too that loaf looks fab and reading the links you can pop the loaf into a hot oven if you like a bit of a crust.. it just looks so simple..
thanks Grannyknot

I do have a breadmaker and have never used a packet bread mix but this looks interesting! I'm currently experimenting with sour dough bread so maybe my slow cooker could be used.

I cooked my Christmas puddings in the slow cooker this time, they came out very well.

Thanks for sharing Grannyknot

Your thread came at just the right time my sister makes our bread but is off on her hols tomorrow.
So going to high tail it to tesco tomorrow.
If it works I will make her a loaf
She will be amazed.
I think I will be too.
I have no cooking genes!
The thing that got me was the words
packet of bread mix
Wish me luck

I agree, thanks very much Grannyknot. I had never thought about using my slow cooker to make bread. My kitchen is small so there is a limit to what I can house in it.

It sounds good but I'm not sure I could fit a tin or a dish inside my oval shaped slow cooker.

Read the links now and I'm going to give it a go!

lona I think you can also do it straight into the slow cooker bowl...

Ooh, this has got me going too! Can't wait to try it.

Be prepared that your first trial may not be perfect! Buy 2 packs of bread mix ...

Am I old fashioned, why do you need a slow cooker or a bread maker if you are using packet bread mix? What is wrong with putting the bread pans in an ordinary oven then you will end up with crusty bread ? I have made our bread for over 50 years, long before bread makers were around so do not use packet mixes (which are probably quicker and less hassle) just put all ingredients into the Kenwood bowl to mix/knead , leave to rise , knock back and put in bread tins, leave to rise whilst oven heats then bake for 30 mins.
I guess breadmakers allow you to leave the machine to do its own thing , overnight or whilst you are out, but must say I know several people who used one for a while and then couldn't be bothered and it is now taking up cupboard space!

Thank you for this thread Grannyknot. Not that I will try it - dreadful baker and have given away my slow cooker - but the topic is so uplifting and 'fun'. Some of the threads of late have been really heavy and difficult. I've no problem with that except that some Grans' terrible plights make me sad and sad I don't want to be. Enjoy the success and the taste all you breadders!

Mines oval too ? I so like this idea so I will look it up.

I love this idea , so I'm going to try this next week. I gave my bread maker away as I didn't have much success with it but use my 20 year old slow cooker all the time .

I'll let you know how it goes :-)

dharma good point, the nice thing about the slow cooker is that you can sort of forget about it for hours, it's very cheap (as compared to an oven) and you don't have to prove or knock back the bread. I don't mind if I don't have a crust.

You sound like an expert. I've tried making bread in an oven but yeast and I don't seem to mix.

kim thanks! I like having fun.

I love my bread maker which I acquired from someone who had given up on it. After 35 years of making my own bread the hard way the doctor told me that I was damaging my gnarled and knobbled hand joints kneading the dough. It makes delicious bread but with a hole in the bottom of course where the paddle does it's work. So now I add the ingredients and let it get as far as the knock-back stage and tip the dough into a tin and leave to rise and then bake in the oven. It's the simplest thing and I bake every other day for three of us. Best of all, the grandchildren love my 100% organic wholemeal bread with no additives.
I am very tempted to get a slow cooker though I don't know much about them. I love the idea that you can forget about it for hours after a series of incidents where I forgot I had pans on the hob or mince pies in the oven. But then I am tempted by a soup maker and a Kenwood mixer but don't know where I would put any of them in my crowded kitchen. I'm still using the hand held moulinex beaters which were a wedding present in 1970
My daughter in Australia has a Thermomix, very popular out there and she can prepare/cook just about anything in it.

Oh dear, its work, not it's.

"grannyknot" - take your point about cost of oven /slow cooker and if it works for you far better to have success than trying the traditional method. Strange that so many people do not seem to get on with yeast baking. I suppose it is so long since I started bread-making that I have forgotten the failures but i bet I had a few in the early days. Good luck and, the main thing: enjoy.

Have given up breadmaking as the bread was so lovely DH and I are far too much of it .We are both inclined to the podge ....

That's fascinating!

My husband makes bread every week for us using a New England bread recipe I cannot buy here. We are on our 3rd Panasonic bread machine after 6 years of this. They are about £90 a throw!

The crispiness comes from the last blast of heat from the bottom element during baking. There are also vents to let the steam out.

I can see some experimenting might do the trick with the crockpot.

Cool idea... thanks for posting!

Meant to add... our Panasonic runs the programme for 3 hours from resting the ingredients, two mixes and risings, then the final baking.