I love my crockpot/slow cooker to pieces and finding new ways to use it always makes me extremely happy. I got a new book last summer for bread recipes that don’t have to be kneaded (since that’s the worst part about making bread, in my opinion). I used the master recipe in the book, shaped it into rolls, and cooked them in the crockpot to see how they would turn out. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how lovely they looked when finished. Now that I know I can use my crockpot for baking bread, who knows what else I can do with it and my prepper stockpile!
No-Knead Crockpot Bread Supplies Needed
Here’s the list of goods needed for making the Artisan no-knead bread: • 1 ½ C Lukewarm Water • 1 Packet Granulated Yeast • ¾ Tsp Coarse Salt • 3 ¼ C All-Purpose White Flour (unsifted) • Cooking Spray
No-Knead Slow Cooker Bread: Mixing the Dough
Warm the 1 ½ C water to around 100°F before adding the yeast and salt to it. If you use warm water, the dough will rise in about 2 hours. You can use cold water as well, but the rising time will be twice as long. Add in the packet of granulated yeast and the ¾ tsp of salt. Give it all a little stir. Don’t worry if the yeast and salt don’t dissolve completely in the water. You can still add in the 3 ¼ C flour. Add in the flour all at once and stir. If you have a mixer with a dough hook, then you don’t have to work as hard to get everything mixed together. However, if you’re doing everything by hand, then you might need to switch to using your hands to mix the dough after a while. It only takes a few minutes to get the dough all mixed together.
If breads are your weakness… Ok, I’ll admit. If it has the word ‘bread’ in it, I’m probably guilty of having tasted it, if not tried to make it myself. So, The Bread Bible: 300 Favorite Recipes (Amazon)? I want it. Really, really want it.
Allowing the Dough to Rest
Place the dough in a large bowl and allow it to rest at room temperature for 2 hours if you used warm water. It might take up to 5 hours for your dough to rise if cold water was used in the beginning process. For the best turn out, place the dough in the fridge for at least 3 hours before shaping into rolls or a loaf and baking it.
Time for the Crockpot!
Take the dough out of the fridge and tear off a small chunk. I usually make dough balls slightly larger than a golf ball. In the crockpot I have, 6 dough balls will fit perfectly with plenty of room for expansion. Roll out balls of dough, spray the inside of your crockpot, and evenly space the dough balls around the bottom of the crockpot insert. Allow the rolls to rest for 40 minutes. After the resting period is up, put the lid on, turn the crockpot on high, and set a timer for 2 ½ hours. I checked the rolls after 2 ½ hours had passed and decided to leave them in for another 30 minutes. I think they came out perfect! They were even slightly browned, just like they would be in the oven. Amazing!
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Get Creative with your Dough
I sprinkled some garlic salt, and a mix of herbs I had on hand, on top of the rolls before I started baking them. You can mix in some bacon bits or shredded cheese if you want. The great thing about this recipe is that you really can’t mess it up. I love it! If you want to mix in herbs before baking your rolls, combine ½ tsp dried thyme and ½ tsp dried rosemary in the water before adding in the yeast and the salt. The baking time will still be exactly the same. Oh, and if you have any leftover dough, this particular recipe enables you to store the dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 14 days. So, you can make crockpot rolls anytime!
You can be extra-sure that the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the top or side registers 210°F. Cool and slice the bread. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and use the parchment paper to transfer the bread to a wire rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing the bread.
No-Knead bread is justifiably popular due to its ease and good results. In side-by-side tests, we discovered that 90 seconds of extra work, plus a few tweaks to the ingredients, takes no-knead bread from good to great.
Fill your slow cooker halfway with water and set to the low setting (which will heat the water to about 200ºF). Put the lid on upside down, lay a dishtowel on top, then set your bowl of dough on top. The radiant heat from the hot water will help the bread rise.
Pop the loaves into a 375º oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The loaves should be golden brown. If you want to be sure they're baked through, use your thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bread. You're looking for about 185º.
An even longer rise: Put this no-knead dough in the fridge immediately after mixing or after the first overnight rise. I've left it for as long as 5 days in the fridge before baking and it works just fine. As a bonus, gluten tightens up in the cold, meaning cold dough is slightly easier to shape.
Why is my bread dense: Usually bread will be too dense when there is too much flour. Keep in mind this dough will be pretty sticky, do not add more flour than specified. Other factors that come into play are humidity and age of flour. Little yeast, long rise, sticky dough are keys to a good, light loaf.
Pros: Develops dough without adding additional flour (as with traditional kneading). Effective method, especially with slack doughs such as baguettes. Cons: Takes time and repetitions to master.
You can hasten this development by pushing the moistened flour around, but it will also happen all on its own if you give the dough enough time. No-knead bread uses a very small amount of yeast to extend the rising time to many hours.
To avoid burning, line the slow cooker pot first or put your bake in a silicone pan. If you can fit one in you can also put a metal cake tin (round or loaf tin) in your slow cooker pot, and bake your cake in that. To stop moisture from the slow cooker lid dripping onto your bake put a tea/dish towel under the lid.
When proving a bread dough for the final time once it has been shaped, and just before it is baked, it is important not to prove it for too long as it can have a noticeable effect on not only the texture, but also the size, colour, flavour and aroma of your final bread.
Gently press your finger into the dough on the top. If the dough springs back quickly, it's underproofed. If it springs back very slowly, it's properly proofed and ready to bake. Finally, if it never springs back, the dough is overproofed.
Do you brush the bread with butter before or after baking? It's best to brush on melted butter after your bread is baked in the oven, but while it is still warm and cooling on a wire rack.
Bread will be dense and heavy: Baked bread at a low temperature will not create the same amount of gluten as bread baked at a higher temperature. This is because gluten needs heat to develop properly. As a result, bread baked at a low temperature will be denser and heavier than bread baked at a higher temperature.
I like a crispy crust on artisan breads, and high heat (425F - 475F) helps with that. Steam in the oven during the first part of the bake also helps with that and with oven spring. A good browned loaf is the result. But, I like a softer crust on sandwich loaf breads and 350F - 375F is fine for that kind of crust.
Sometimes things do just need longer to bake for … whatever reason. As with any other kind of bake, the best first step to take is to weigh your ingredients. Too much or too little flour, for example, can throw off the balance.
Tap the bottom of the loaf firmly and listen. The bread should make a "hollow" sound. If it doesn't, place it back into the oven, test it a few times over the next few minutes, and look for other indicators that it's done. You can also touch the bread to assess.
Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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