Camp Cooking #6: "Homemade" Crockpot Bread

RDB says I can't call this 'homemade.'  He thinks popping open a can of pre-made dough and baking it in a crockpot doesn't count.  Kinda reminds me of the old Rice Krispies Treats commercial:

 

 

 

So, just because it's easy doesn't mean it's not homemade.  Right?

 

Right.

 

Now that we've cleared that up - here's my recipe for Homemade *wink*wink* Crockpot Bread.

 

Gather your ingredients:

  

 

1 'can' of premade pizza dough

(Yep, that's it.)

crockpot, parchment paper, foil pie plate

 

Timewise, this can vary - as your model and size of crockpot could be different than mine.  It's best to get this started right after breakfast and then it would certainly be ready for dinner, and potentially for lunch.  And if you're making this a main part of your dinner, bring a back-up meal just in case.  I burned the tar out of my first loaf which made for an interesting breadless-sandwich dinner.

 

"Pop" open your can of pizza dough and form it into a large donut - in essence, just wrap the ends around on each other and smush them together.  I have a round crockpot, I need a round lump of dough.  Set it off to the side on the parchment paper for a moment.

 

Prep your crockpot with two things: the foil pie plate and the parchment paper.  I learned on my first attempt at crockpot bread that the bottom will burn to a blackened crisp if you don't get it away from the heat of the element right below the crock.  I couldn't find a pie plate that would fit into my little crockpot so I had to create my own concoction by cutting and bending a larger plate to fit.  In a perfect world, you could take a small pie plate and invert it into your crock to give a false bottom about an inch away from the true bottom.  That inch makes all the difference. 

 

 

 Line your new false bottom with a large piece of parchment paper (the one you put the dough on a moment ago) and make sure it goes up the sides of the crock.  This will make clean-up practically a non-issue so long as the dough stays inside your parchment.

 

Place your doughnut shaped dough ball in to the center of your parchment lined crockpot and cover.

 

 

Back to what I said about timing - it's averaged about 2.5-3 hours the three times I've tried this (including the time I turned it into charcoal).  You'll know it's done when the top springs back if you touch it.  It will still look very dough-y on top, and have the texture of a steamed bun, but the bottom will be crunchy (not burned) and delicious.

 

 

This brand makes a very dense bread - RDB and I made it into a meal once before with a few herbs and spices in olive oil for dipping.  This weekend we just used plain ole butter.

 

Mmmmm, butter.

 

 

 Ya know, we made disagree over what is or what isn't 'homemade' - but one thing is certain: we both LOVE cooking at camp!