Bake Bread in a Slow Cooker

Perfect for Hot Summer Days

In slow economic times it is important for me not to give up life's simple pleasures. Fresh homemade bread is economical, easy to make and more nutritious than commercial breads. By placing my slow cooker on a table in our outside screened house I baked fresh bread yesterday without adding heat to my kitchen. No need to buy a bread making machine if you have a slow cooker. Multi purpose appliances are good so I used my Hamilton Beach Portfolio Slow Cooker that I bought eight years ago.

Multi grain Bread in the Slow Cooker

1 tablespoon yeast I keep a jar of Fleishmann's BreadMachine Yeast in my refrigerator
1/4 cup warm water 105- 115 degrees
1 cup warm skim milk or buttermilk
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oat
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey or raw sugar
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

Spray Canola cooking spray in a deep metal or 1 lb coffee

add 1 cup hot water to bottom of slow-cooker, replace cover, turn on high to preheat

* I always use my Cobalt Blue, Kitchen Aid Mixer, to knead my bread dough. I bought this mixer 1993 to make Kara's First Communion Party Cake, as you can see this appliance is well worth the investment for my kitchen supplies.

In the large metal mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water; combine with milk, oats, salt, oil, honey or raw sugar and wheat germ.
Add flour and knead with the dough hook until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
scrape the dough immediately into bowl or can; cover LOOSELY with foil.

In bottom of slow-cooker, place a trivet or some crumpled foil.
place can or bowl on this; cover and bake on High for 3 hours depending on the shape of the can it may need more time. Insert uncooked spaghetti pasta to test center to make sure it is done.

Yield: 1 medium sized loaf of bread.

As a test I cooked a small, half recipe, loaf of this bread on low overnight and it worked perfectly. Sides of bread brown and crisp beautifully, top will slightly brown and be soft to touch.

So good toasted with fresh ground peanut butter. Today I spread the toasted bread with a little Smart Balance Light and Kurtz Orchard Chardonnay Wine Jelly.

I love to make good, multi grain homemade bread. The other day Jim said he was going to buy some 100 grain bread. My eyes lit up until he laughed, then I knew he was teasing me. Only whole grain breads and pasta in my kitchen.

Bake fresh bread today in your slow cooker.