-Would you believe that this beautiful that this beautiful sour dough peasant bread bakes
in a slow cooker?
Well, it does.
The hardest part may be waiting for the loaf to cool since the aroma of the baking bread
smells just as good as the bread tastes.
To start, mix 3 and 3 quarter cups of all-purpose flour and 1 quarter cup of whole wheat flour
in a medium bowl.
Set the flour aside.
Next, pour 1 and quarter cups of warm water into an extra large bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Stir and allow the mixture to rest for about 10 minutes or until it turns foamy.
Add 1/2 cup of room temperature plain yogurt, 1 quarter cup of warm milk, and 2-1/2 teaspoons
of salt.
Stir it well.
Next add 2-1/2 cups of the reserved flour mixture.
Stir it to combine.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
Okay, our dough looks ready.
So, let's stir in another 1 and a quarter cups of the flour mixture.
Now sprinkle your work surface with the remaining 1 quarter cup of the flour mixture and turn
the dough on to the work surface.
Gently knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes until the flour is incorporated.
The dough will be a little sticky and that's okay.
Form the dough into a round shape then cover it and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
Lightly coat a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment
paper.
Spray the paper with a nonstick cooking spray and then sprinkle it with 1 tablespoon of
cornmeal.
Lightly dust the top of the dough with a little extra flour then gently transfer it to the
slow cooker.
A pastry scraper or a wide spatula both work well for this.
The idea is to transfer the dough without disturbing the air bubbles that have formed.
Cover the slow cooker and cook the bread on high for 2 and a quarter to 2-1/2 hours.
Make sure that you don't lift the lid off the slow cooker during the cooking time.
To check for doneness, insert an instant read thermometer near the center of the loaf.
If it registers 200 degrees Fahrenheit, then it's done.
Remove the bread, peel off the parchment paper, and place it on a baking sheet.
Broil the bread about 4 to 6 inches from the heat until it turns golden brown on top.
This will take 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing it.
And there it is, sour dough peasant bread.
The loaf slices beautifully, making it ideal for sandwiches and toast.