The Secret To Making Delicious Bread In A Slow Cooker

If you're new to the craft of bread making, you may not want to invest in a collection of loaf pans or a fancy bread maker. But, if you're like most home cooks, you probably already own a slow cooker. In fact, more than 11 million slow cookers were sold in the U.S. last year alone, according to Statista. And, while most slow cooker users are accustomed to making roasts, soups, and casseroles in these handy kitchen helpers, very few realize that slow cookers can also be used to make bread. According to The Kitchn, slow cookers allow a loaf of bread to "rise and bake all at the same time" because of the temperature that the cooker reaches when set to "high." Problems may arise, however, if the bread isn't left alone in the slow cooker long enough, but the same can be said for all slow cooker recipes and human impatience.

So, how exactly do you make bread in a slow cooker so that it comes out like "real" bread and not a soupy casserole? Making bread in a slow cooker is very similar to making bread in an oven, with three very important added steps, according to The Kitchn. When you place your mixed dough in the slow cooker, you'll need to line the cooker with parchment paper so that the bread doesn't stick (this also makes the last step easier). Second, before you remove your bread from the slow cooker, you'll want to check that the internal temperature is between 190 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit. And lastly, if you want your bread to have a nice brown, crisp exterior, you'll need to finish the bread off in a hot oven. Luckily, you already have the bread on parchment, so you can easily pick it up, place it on a baking sheet and bake it for five to ten minutes. Most importantly, don't stress out if your bread isn't perfect on the first try. Just like any time you attempt bread making, it may take a bit of trial and error before you find your groove, but that's okay. Baking is all about experimentation.