I LOVE BREAD! One of life’s simple pleasures is a great loaf of fresh baked bread.

After attending a “no knead” bread making class, I decided to explore alternative options for easy bread making. During my journey, I came across several recipes for easy homemade bread, baked in a slow cooker or crock pot. I found the idea of this process quite intriguing, so I began experimenting with different recipes. After trying several, I decided to combine a few of the ideas from the various recipes to create my own special version of crock pot bread.

A couple things I discovered is that this bread has a limited shelf life, because it has no preservatives. It will keep 2 or 3 days at room temperature, so make it when you are ready to eat it. Keeping it any longer, it can be stored in the fridge in plastic wrap. It makes wonderful toast and is also great for sandwiches for that perfect summer picnic. This recipe is made with sun dried tomatoes, one of my favorite ingredients in bread! I enjoy dipping this bread in good quality olive oil infused with sun dried tomatoes, minced rosemary and garlic. My husband and I just love it and I hope you do too!

Make good food with gratitude,
Becky

Slow Cooker Bread

Yield:

• 2 pound loaf

Prep Time:

• 20 minutes

Cook Time:

• 2 hours

Total Time:

• 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope active dry yeast

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1½ cups warm water

• 3½ cups bread flour (420g)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions:.

Line a crock pot with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast and sugar. Add the warm water (around 110°F) and stir to combine. Allow the yeast to “bloom” ( it will begin to bubble) for around 10 minutes. Add flour, salt and olive oil and stir until combined. A shaggy dough will begin to form.

On a lightly floured surface, knead for about 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.

At this point, knead in the sun dried tomatoes and any other ingredients you’d like, such as cheese, herbs, nuts, etc. A total of ¼ cup of these ingredients (whether individual or combined) would be more than enough. Remember, with each ingredients added to the dough, the bread dough will lose moisture, so don’t get carried away.

Once the dough is properly kneaded and the ingredients have been added, place the bread in the parchment lined crock pot. Place paper towels under the lid of the crock pot to capture the condensation.

Set the cooker on high and the timer for 2 hours.

After the two hours is completed, check the temperature of the bread with an instant read thermometer. Even though the bread looks pale on the top, if a thermometer inserted into the middle reads around 200°F, it’s done.

If you’d like the top of your bread to have a more finished appearance, brown it under the broiler of your oven for a few minutes. Watch it carefully because it will burn quickly.

Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing.

Tips and Tricks:

During the kneading process, mix in any additional ingredients you would like to make your bread unique.

Here are some ideas - I’d advise you use no more than 1/4 cup of any individual or combination of the ingredients below:

• Black olives

• Rosemary

• Parmesan cheese

• Dried cranberries

• Walnuts

If you’d like to add seasonings, I’d suggest you use 2-4 tablespoons of Rosemary or Italian seasoning.

Use your imagination and create a delicious loaf of your own.