I also did an experiment with some okra. It was on its last leg, and I wanted to try something new. One of my favorite ways to cook broccoli and cauliflower is broiled, so I did the same thing tonight with okra. Cut it, throw it in a bowl and drizzle a little olive oil on it. Add salt and pepper to taste, and I added a couple of minced cloves of garlic. I also sliced a chili to spice it up as well. Shake everything around to coat it, (A Ziplock bag works well for this, too.) and dump it in a pan. Stick it under the broiler for a few minutes, stir, and put it back under for a few more minutes. We like ours really toasted (meaning just about black). They were crunchy and reminded me of fried okra, without all the frying. I highly recommend trying it!

Today I came across this interesting bread recipe while searching for another. I had most of the ingredients on hand, so I thought, “Let’s give it a try.”

One of the things that we lack here is wheat bread. There is a little bakery that sells some loaves of homemade wheat bread, but it is closed until around September or October. We miss our wheat bread and have resorted to the local baked white breads like baguettes.

Mission accepted…make your own bread.

I have no real experience with bread making, so I am on the look out to find an easy recipe for whole-wheat bread. I plan to order the book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day  when we get back to the States, but according to this book, I need special vital wheat gluten to make good whole-wheat bread. I will search for this special ingredient at the grocery stores when we go back to the capital, Phnom Penh.

So here is my experiment for the day…making whole wheat bread in the crock-pot. I didn’t really think I had the right size glass bowl to put in the crock-pot, but since my loaf didn’t rise high, maybe it’s because I didn’t use all the dough in it. I decided to half it and cook one, let the other sit and “rise” then bake the second loaf. Next time I will be brave and put it all in!

This is the recipe I used, modified from Food.com to fit the ingredients I had in the kitchen.

Directions

1. Grease a deep metal or glass bowl or 1 lb coffee can; turn slow-cooker on high to preheat.
2. Dissolve yeast in water; combine with milk, oats, salt, oil, honey, and egg.
3. Add flour and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
4. Turn dough immediately into bowl or can; cover LOOSELY with foil. (Foil is important so that the moisture from the lid of the crock pot doesn’t drip on your bread and make it soggy.)
5. In bottom of slow-cooker, place 1/2 cup of water and a trivet or some crumpled foil. (I used the lid to an old salsa jar.)
6. Place can or bowl on trivet; cover crock pot and bake on High for 3 hours.Note: sides of bread brown and crisp beautifully, top will slightly brown and be soft to touch.
   Yield: 1 medium sized loaf of bread.

The Verdict? Flavor was great…texture was dense. From what I have read, this is where vital wheat gluten would help. I honestly think my combination of flours were not the best either. Good news, I have great bread to toast for breakfast. However, I’m not pleased enough with this loaf to keep it for “everyday use.” Would I make this again? I will try once more…bake all the dough at the same time and use only the lighter flour!

Have you ever tried to bake bread in the crock pot?

Crock Pot Bread with the “Baking Bowl” and Salsa “Trivet”

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She’s a beauty, right?! But, she has a quirk…there are no numbers on her knobs. In fact, there is no auto thermostat because the oven won’t even kick off when it gets to a certain temperature. I do, however, have a temperature gauge on the glass window in the door, so I know when it has gone way past and beyond the temperature I’m aiming for. Unfortunately, it is terrible for whatever happens to be inside the oven by the time I get the reading on my thermometer. Baking is always an adventure. In the States, I wouldn’t always  take the time for the oven to fully preheat. Here it is an absolute necessity so that I know it’s sitting in the right temperature setting.

Thanks for joining me on this adventure, and welcome to my orange kitchen!