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Last week I did a post about baking a loaf of bread in a slow cooker. The resulting bread was fast, easy and delicious, not to mention it didn’t require a hot oven on a warm summer day. Several people asked if the same technique could be used with our gluten-free doughs. I am happy to announce that YES, it also works with gluten-free. I used the “Not Rye (But So Very Close)” recipe from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Check with your crock-pot’s manufacturer before trying this, since some model’s instructions specify that the pot has to be at least partially filled with liquid to avoid safety or durability problems. And never bake in a crock-pot unattended.
1 pound gluten-free dough (G-F Not Rye p. 249, G-F Crusty Boule p. 236 or the G-F Cheddar and Sesame Bread p. 244) all from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients.
Form the dough into a ball. If you are new to gluten-free dough, here is a video to show you how to work with it. Place the loaf on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle the top with caraway seeds. Place the loaf in your Crock-Pot. Turn the temperature to high and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes*. (The timing may change based on your crock pot and the type of g-f dough you are baking. Keep an eye on the loaf after 45 minutes to see if it needs additional time. You can gently press the top to feel if the loaf is well set.)
*I also tried a loaf that I let rest for 45 minutes before turning on the crock pot. I found that the loaf was a bit lighter in texture with the extra rising time, but it wasn’t so significant that I would say it is required. But, if you find your loaf is a touch dense, then let it rest before baking the next time you try it.
Remove the loaf from the crock pot and take away the parchment, then place it under the broiler if you want a darker, crisper crust.
Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Recently diagnosed as gluten intolerant I know I already miss all the wheat breads I used to make with your other recipes, but was glad to know I had gf recipes I can make using the method I already know and love. I was hoping you might be able to give weight equivalents for the gf flours and starches that you use in Healthy Bread in 5, like you did for the other flours on pg 36. The GF grains and starches all seem to have such a huge range in density it would be great to have the weights included in case you needed to make a substitution. Also is it safe to assume you used the same scoop and sweep method for the gf ingredients as you do for all your other ingredients? Thanks!
Carly: We do use scoop and sweep for everything. Unfortunately, we have not yet finished developing weight equivalents for the GF flours. That may eventually appear in an upcoming book, but nothing’s certain at the moment.
I wonder if anyone else has discovered how easy it is to mix the dough up using a butter knife (I know it sounds crazy!) instead of a spoon?! In an ultimate lazy moment, I began to mix the dough with the knife I used to sweep the final measure of flour and found that the dough cam together in record time!
Hi Donna,
That is fascinating and I will have to give it a try!
Thanks, Zoë
Thanks!! I just formed my boule to let rest and was coming to check the instructions for regular dough…hoping it would work well with gf dough!
As master bakers, Jeff or Zoe, do you know if Arrowroot powder would work as a replacement for the Tapioca starch/flour? I have Arrowroot on hand but not Tapioca and would like to get my dough going. I’m so excited to try this. We love your regular boule recipe and ate it often till a recent gluten intolerance diagnosis.
Kate: We have not tried arrowroot so can’t advise. So sorry!
am going to experiment and will let you know what my findings are…..thanks sooo much for all this info!
I use arrowroot flour in another gluten-free yeast bread recipe, so it should work. I actually like it better than tapioca, when used with sorghum flour, as I think the flavor is better.
Arrowroot & Kudzu Root both work & are alternatives.
I use tapioca starch and arrowroot powder interchangeably in my GF baking. Thus far it has worked without any problems!
Hi,
I’m wondering if a silicone baking mat would work in place of the parchment paper. Thank you! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Jill: Can’t vouch for that, because the manufacturers specify a temperature limit for each product. So, check with the manufacturer.
Dear Jeff and Zoe,
Thank you! I made three loaves of your basic bread recipe today! I am on a super tight budget with health disabilities. I was so thrilled with the bread that I baked and your generous tutorials on you tube.
I did not have all the equipment and improvised where needed…ie…I used a plastic Rubber maid drinking pitcher and the top was turned to slightly vent the gases, the top of a cast iron dutch oven became my pizza stone, the flat surface of a pie tin became my pizza peel and a stainless steel measuring cup was used to hold the water in my toaster oven! With all that said, my bread came out perfect!
Next month, I am planning on buying your first book. Until then, you have another fan to add to your long list.
God bless both of you and your families!
Thank you CJ,
We are thrilled that you baked the bread and enjoyed it! I am happy to know that the toaster oven produced a great loaf!
Cheers, Zoë
“I used a plastic Rubber maid drinking pitcher and the top was turned to slightly vent the gases”…. What a great idea! A problem I’ve had is with other family members putting something into the refrigerator ON TOP of my loosely placed lids! With your idea, they might still do this, but the vents will not be blocked. Hooray! TYTYTY
Dear L,
You’re welcome!
CJ
perfect!
I would like to try the Gluten-Free Olive Oil bread on page 238. However, I have a wheat and soy allergy. Is there a possible substitution for the soy flour in this recipe?
Hi Kathy,
Any bean flour will be a good substitute for the soy. We added it to give the loaf a bit of a protein boost.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi
I just finished reading your instructions for the crock pot method….this may seem silly, but can I assume you placed a lid on the crockpot prior to baking?
Thanks
Bev: Yes.
Thank you, I linked back this recipe and other crock pot recipe over at my blog…
I just made 3 loaves of gf bread (GF boule recipe) in my crockpot for back to school. They took closer to 2 hours, so I’ll plan a longer time for next time. I topped one loaf with chia seeds, for a little colour and texture. I used the rest for the gf naan bread. Now we’ve got some food ready for lunch at school and playschool which start this week. Thanks!
Great Jenna!
I can’t wait to try this.
Three of my six children have been recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease/gluten issues. Your “sweet” tasting bread from the Healthy Bread book was my first attempt to find a bread that they could actually eat — as opposed to the store bought bread. It was a success!! Now my 10 year old PB & J -er can get back to having the lunches he loves. You have made an amazing difference in our lives and made three children (actually all six love the bread!) very, very happy to have a good bread again. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! From a very grateful mom
So glad to hear, Polly!
Bought 5 minute artisan bread book just for glutenfreee chapter(OMG)after depression of having no cruchy bread, just made a batch of olive oil boule in crockpot 1 1/2 hour cook time and under broilerfor 10 min. I use chia seeds in water mixture instead of xanthian gum (broccoli rot)(glutenfree girl website has info on this). Thanks for remembering us
Hi Hollie,
So glad you are enjoying the g-f breads!
Cheers, Zoë
Which or your GF breads do you recommend for sandwiches? My 17 year old high school son was just diagnosed and would like to take sandwiches to school. Can I make them in a bread pan and if so how long do I cook it? Do I put the pan on the stone still? Thanks!!
Colleen
Hi Colleen,
Do you have HBin5, which has the gluten-free chapter? If so, I would start with the crusty boule, but you can bake it in a loaf pan and follow the directions for shaping and baking the g-f brioche, also in that chapter. You can make the brioche, but it is a touch sweeter. If you make the brioche, our readers have found it easier to mix in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, because it is a wetter dough.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi guys!
I wanted to pick your brains on something. I did your bread in the slow cooker today and I want to make bread for my aunt — but she’s allergic to all grains, so even rice flour is out of the running! Gluten-free isn’t the solution.
Do you have a grain free recipe in any of your books? Or can I substitute other flours (almond flour, etc) in place of regular flour? Does that work?
Thank you so much!
Clarice
Clarice: Nut flour recipes are on our list to test, but haven’t done it yet. There are recipes out there, I’m told…
Just wondering if you have to use the caraway seeds to top the bread? I’m not a huge fan of the taste so I was wondering if there are alternatives?
Thank you so much for thinking of the gluten-free community!
Nah! Sesame seeds, poppies, or nothing at all are all good.
I’ve used chia seeds. They were good.
Love your books! I bake bread a few times a week, and have never had a problem with a recipe or even tweaking a recipe. However, we just found out my husband and son have to go gluten free (so tough for a house that usually smells like fresh baked bread). Anyway, right away I turned to the gluten free chapter in your book. But I can’t get the dough to work. I have tried a few of the recipes several times exactly as written but every time I end up with a bowl full of liquid goo. The gluten flours aren’t cheap so I am afraid to keep trying. Any ideas why the dough is liquid?
Heather: Unfortunately GF flours aren’t quite standardized yet in the US, so people get different results. One thing, and we will modify this in future printings, is to standardize the way these flours are measured, we’re going to recommend that people pack them into the cup as their being measured, otherwise you get too little flour, and it’s too liquid-y. See if that works. Otherwise, you can just increase the flours a little bit each and that will certainly take care of the problem. You could even try that now– with the too-wet batch you have. Just work it in.
Thank you. Packing the measuring cup did the trick. Also, the last liquid dough I had still baked up nicely in a loaf pan. it fell a bit during baking but the texture and flavor was fabulous!
GR8!
Just read your posts for first time…very interesting. Can you please explain what the heck “scoop and sweep” in bread making means? Thanks❤
Hi Gayla,
It refers to the way you get the flour into the measuring cup. You scoop the flour into the cup and then sweep the excess off with a knife. We specify, because many recipes want you to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then sweep off the excess, which will result in less flour than we want.
Hope that clears it up? Zoë
Zoe and Jeff – Thanks for all the great recipes! I have made your focaccia bread several times using the master recipe with a little wheat flour included. Perfect every time.
An new idea for keeping the onions from burning. Today I sliced the onions, submerged them in a little water with salt/sugar and microwaved them on medium for about three minutes to tenderize. Drained them and patted dry. Then tossed them in lemon olive oil and spread on the bread. Result? The oil not only covered the onions and kept them from burning during baking, but acted as the drizzle that was more evenly spread out over the top of the bread. Finalized with a little sea salt, pepper and rosemary on the top and the result was fantastic. Thanks for all you do!
Hi Wendy,
What a brilliant idea, thank you for sharing with us!
Cheers, Zoë
I had the same issue with gooey wet dough and ended up just throwing some on wax paper and put it in the crockpot. It took almost 4 hours to cook but it still turned out pretty good, just a very flat bread.
I put the rest in the fridge overnight and am wondering if I can still add some of the flours now to make it a more solid consistency after refrigeration?
Thanks so much, I’ve bragged about your books to numerous other bread-baking moms!
Hi Helene,
The dough may have tightened up after you refrigerated it. Are you mixing the dough by hand? With g-f dough, it is often more a matter of the dough needing to be mixed longer, which is easiest with a stand mixer. The dough emulsifies when it is thoroughly mixed.
Thanks, Zoë
I was thrilled to see that there are some gluten free recipes in the new book, as I have long been substituting spelt flour for regular in your recipes for my only-allergic-to-wheat child, but now I found out another child is gluten intolerant. However, he’s also allergic to eggs. Do you have any suggestions for substitutions for the eggs in your gluten free recipes?
I often use Ener-G egg replacer in baked recipes for him, and I know some people use flaxseed, but I was wondering if you (or any of your lovely readers) had tried this in these recipes already and how it turned out? I hate to waste expensive gluten free flours experimenting if someone has already done it for me
Thanks so much!
Hi Olivia,
Here is a loaf using an egg substitute. I haven’t tried Ener-G yet, but lots of our readers have with good results: http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/06/01/gluten-free-baguettes-egg-free-and-a-king-arthur-gluten-free-flour-giveaway
Thanks, Zoë
Ah! How did I miss that one? Thank you so much, that was just what I needed. Off to mix some dough right away–you have made a 6 year old’s day!
Thanks!
Olivia
I’ve been thinking about how to work with einkorn flour to make bread. You had mentioned that water needs to be adjusted for higher protein content in another post I’d read. I’m wondering if I adjust the water for the protein content and substituted xanthan gum for vital wheat gluten(supposed to be able to substitute 1:1) if you think that would work for the Master Wheat recipe on page 54 of Healthy Breads? I am new to baking bread in general and so don’t know anything about it except what I have read in your books Artisan Breads in Five Minutes and Healthy Breads . . .
Hi Janet,
You are leaving the comment on a Gluten-free post, but einkorn is not a gluten-free flour. I just want to make sure you know that, in case you are allergic to gluten.
Do you want to try to reduce the amount of gluten, is that why you want to use xanthan instead of vital wheat gluten?
The einkorn flour is very close to spelt or emmer flour. It is a low gluten developing flour, so you may need to use more of it. I have never tried using xanthan gum in place of vital wheat gluten, but you will need something to create the structure in the loaf. If you try the xanthan, please let us know how it works.
Thanks, Zoë