Slow cooker bread?

[jazzactivist]

Hi all, I would love to be able to bake my own bread, but am not very good at it. I have tried by hand and in a bread maker, but my efforts always come out a bit too chewy and solid. I have a small slow cooker and am wondering if it is possible to bake bread in it, or at least get the dough to rise properly? Any experiences or ideas?

[Oola]

Rich is a dab hand at bread baking, I'll get him to have a look and offer some advice.

[Healing Hands]

Yes, I would like some advice also Oola as I have the same problem as Jazz, no matter how I make the bread, follow the recipes carefully the bread still comes out chewy or rock solid.

With the price of bread these days I would like to start making it again.:)

[souter girl]

Years and years ago I used to bake bread and my OH said that I was never so good-tempered!! All that kneading and thumping etc (the dough, not him!) But then real life took over and since Christmas I have a bread-making machine and instead of being just another gadget that sits in the cupboard glaring reproachfully at me whenever I open the door, this one is a true friend! My OH works away from home coming home late-ish on Friday evening, so
Saturday morning we wake up to the smell of freshly-baked bread as the machine has a TIMER which I set before I go to bed. I have tried bread mixes but was not impressed so buy good organic bread flour (I like it with "bits", he likes white, you can't win them all) and follow the recipe in the book which came with the machine. I can also knock up a quick loaf in just under 2 hours which is not much slower and a whole lot cheaper than driving 6 miles and back to a supermarket.I have also tried fancy recipes including spelt flour and rye bread and find it can be appreciated as a useful alternative to wine or flowers when going out for lunch!It is made by a firm beginning with Pana.......(no advertising) and I really recommend it. I have also put on the best part of a stone - as I said, you can't win them all!!

[jazzactivist]

I have a bread maker too, souter girl, and have tried folllowing the recipe in the booklet and also bought a bread maker book with different recipes for loaves and cakes. However, even with this machine mine still doesn't turn out all that well. It has a timer to bake bread overnight, but you are supposed to remove the loaf as soon as the machine 'dings' - which is in the midle of the night! The main problem for us is that we don't really eat much bread, and even small loaves get wasted, although we do like a nice piece of bread with soup etc. I could really do with a foolproof recipe for a good, small loaf, or for 6 rolls.

[Healing Hands]

Jazz the same for me I have a bread machine, I follow the recipes in the book and still get bread that can be like brick, goodness knows what goes wrong. So like you I could do wioth a foolproof recipe....please some-one.....