Slow Cooker Rye Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Stir 1 cup water and yeast together in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let sit until frothy or foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Mix flour and salt together in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Add yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly combined and no traces of flour remain. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water and stir again; dough should be tacky but not wet.
• Cover container with the lid. Let dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Set slow cooker to High. Cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of your slow cooker.
• Dust a clean work surface with flour. Knead dough briefly with floured hands to get rid of any air pockets. Shape into a round or oval loaf depending on the shape of your slow cooker.
• Sprinkle some of the sesame seeds on the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle remaining seeds generously all around the loaf. Place dough in the slow cooker and cover with the lid.
• Cook on High for 2 hours. Lift the lid a couple of times during cooking to release the steam. An instant-read thermometer inserted deep into the loaf should read between 200 and 210 degrees F (93 to 99 degrees C). The surface of the bread should be dry and no longer spongy. Remove the loaf and tap the bottom; it should sound hollow.
• Remove loaf from the slow cooker. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting, at least 1 hour.

Steps:

• Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Measure 350ml warm water and pour most of it into the well. Mix the flour and water together with your fingers or a wooden spoon until combined into a slightly wet, pillowy, workable dough - add a splash more water if necessary.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 10 mins until smooth and elastic. This can also be done in a tabletop mixer with a dough hook.
• Shape the dough into a large, tight ball and sit the ball on a square of baking parchment. Use the parchment to lift the dough into your slow cooker, cover and set the slow cooker to high. Leave for 2 hrs.
• Lift the bread out using the parchment. The bottom should be crusty and the top should be springy, not soft. (If you have a digital cooking thermometer, the middle of the loaf should be 90C.) If it isn't ready, return to the slow cooker for 15 mins and test again - it could take up to 2 hrs 30 mins.
• The bread won't get a significant crust or golden colour in the slow cooker. Once cooked, you can leave it to cool, or put in the oven at 240C/220C fan/gas 9 for 5-10 mins to get some colour.