Not many people know that you can make perfectly delicious bread using your slow cooker. Making bread in this way has many advantages: it’s less labour intensive as you don’t need to knock the dough back and re-knead it meaning you only need to knead it once, and once it’s in the slow cooker you can leave it to it for the next few hours without worrying about forgetting about it and burning it!

This recipe will make loaves in two 14cm bowls which will both fit into a 6 litre slow cooker.  If your slow cooker is smaller or you have any dough left you can cover with clingfilm or a damp cloth and use later.

Ingredients: 

32oz strong white bread flour (although it also works well with ordinary plain flour)

1 pint milk

1 tbsp yeast

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp sugar

4 oz butter

Method: 

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl.

Warm the milk until it is hand-hot.  Add the yeast and sugar and whisk together.

Melt the butter and use some to coat two 14cm bowls including the rims.

Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and add the rest of the melted butter.  Bring the mixture together with your hands.  Once the mixture is fully combined and dough-like begin kneading.

Knead for at least five minutes then divide into two and shape into balls. Place one ball of dough into each of  the bowls.

Cover very loosely with foil – the dough will rise as it cooks so make sure there is room for the foil to be lifted up.

Place a trivet or some scrunched up balls of foil in the bottom of your slow cooker pot, then place the bowls on top.

Add an inch or so of boiling water to the pot and place the lid on top.

10. Set the slow cooker to high and your bread will be ready in approximately four hours.