by honeybee
Fresh baked bread. The smell, yes it’s a smell people from every corner of the globe recognize. But for most of us, the thought of making our own bread is well, intimidating.
Even worse, people like me living in South East Asia, having a proper kitchen, or even having an oven, is something we can only dream of.
That old saying goes: necessity is the mother of invention.
I will show you how a complete novice cook, me, with no oven, or even yeast, can produce some high quality, yummy bread.
 Electric Cooker Otto Company |
 | Whole Wheat Bread Recipes, Whole Wheat Bread Recipes, by Daniel D. Stuhlman. Pen and ink drawings by M.J. Stuhlman. Photographs by the author. 2nd edition. Fine baked goods have long been symbols of warmt... |
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1. No oven here, so this is where we get creative. I use my electric cooker.
Reverting back to those with an oven, here you would heat it to 375 degrees. For me, its simply to fill the cooking pan one third full of water.
2. Using a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Option: add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Measure all dry ingredients and combine in a large bowl. I use a wooden spoon for this.
3. Add oil and water
Add oil to dry mixture and about half the water. Stir thoroughly and slowly add small amounts of water as needed to process dough into a moist ball. The dough should roll into a ball and be barely sticky.
Options: At this point you could be creative and add herbs, cheese, nuts, whatever you may like to try.
4. Put in pan for baking.
For those with an oven, here you would put the prepared dough ball into a traditional bread pan and prepare for baking. I have a round metal bowl, like a large salad bowl. I coat the bowl with one tablespoon of oil and plop the dough ball into the center.
5. Cooking instructions
Oven: 375 degrees for approximately 35 minutes or until top is golden brown and springs back when touched.
My method: Set metal bowl in center of cooking pan filled one third full of water. Turn cooker on high and cover with glass lid. Water will boil and must be monitored closely so it does not boil dry.
Surprisingly, this method cooks bread in approximately 15 minutes. Test by poking with a fork, if it comes out clean, your bread is finished.
As an energy saving tip, I typical test the bread with a fork and when it comes out mostly clean I turn off the cooker and let the residual heat finish cooking the bread.
Important tip: First time I cooked bread this way, I put too much water, it boiled over, and it took 45 minutes to finally finish cooking. By using a small amount of water, the bread cooks quickly and perfect every time.
Always monitor closely and be ready to add a small amount of water to the cooking pan if needed.
6. Out of the pan
I typically leave the cover on the cooking pan and let it sit for 30 mintues to an hour. After that, put a plate on the metal bowl, hold tight, flip over, and the finished bread plops cleanly onto the plate.
Slice when cool and enjoy.
 Dough Ball in Metal Bowl Chitchanok Naknin |  Metal Bowl in Cooker Chitchanok Naknin |
 Water in Cooker Chitchanok Naknin |
 Dough and Metal Bowl in Cooker Chitchanok Naknin |
 Ready to Cook Chitchanok Naknin |
Everyone that has ever cooked anything knows the importance of following recipes carefully, measuring ingredients carefully, and cooking correctly to ensure an enjoyable tasty end product.
As a first time bread baker, I too understand the importance of following a recipe closely.
I will say, however, that this recipe is surprisingly forgiving. Ready access to all ingredients is not always that easy here. I have prepared this recipe lacking proper measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowls, and even an oven, but the bread is always wonderful.
Intimidated to cook your own bread? Do not be intimidated. If this novice cook with minimal equipment and skills can make bread, you can too.
For the purist that prefers a traditional rectangular loaf of bread? I am looking for a rectangular bread pan that will sit nicely in my cooker. Once found, new bread recipes will have that more traditional shape. Tongue in cheek, required.
Please look for my other bread recipes using the same cooking method, such as banana bread and apple cobbler.
Enjoy!
 Honey Bees Whole Wheat Quick Bread Chitchanok Naknin |
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Comments
I like to eat cereals, perhaps too much, and sometimes think of buying a bread machine. I don't buy it because I don't think I'll use it very often but homemade bread is always healthier than supermarket bread.
Well written. Never thought of that. Good idea.