BreadHack

The slow cooker is, in its own peculiar way, a time saver. It retards cooking to a set minimum, giving you time — a whole lot of it — to attend to something else. You put in meat, say, with water and the requisite spices and condiments, then you leave the dish to cook unattended, secure in the knowledge that it is not likely to dry out or burn in your absence.

There are drawbacks, of course. Leave it on long enough and you overcook the meat. This happened to me many times, usually because I forgot I had anything cooking at all. Hence why I no longer use the slow cooker for that purpose. It encourages complacency, which leads to forgetfulness, and by the time I remember — disaster.

For another, a slow cooker is no good at braising. It’s so effective keeping moisture in that your liquid never reduces down to a sauce. It occurs to me just now that it can be done, but that would entail checking periodically to see if the meat is near tender so you can remove the lid to allow the liquid to reduce while the meat further cooks to desired succulence — in which case you might as well have cooked it on the stove for all the bother.

You would also think it ideal for slow-cooked pasta sauces like pomodoro and Bolognese, but you’d be wrong. Those sauces are heavy, so unless you keep stirring that pot, you risk burning the bottom. Bottom line is, like any other kitchen gadget, the slow cooker has its limitations. Use responsibly.

Speaking of uses, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the slow cooker could be used for baking. That was news to me. And yet behold, if you will, the proof that is the slow-cooker garlic bread!

I sense more than a few raised eyebrows out there, so here’s the truth: you can’t get bread to brown like that in the slow cooker, but at least it will not look like siopao, either. I slid mine under the broiler for that golden finish. Cheating? Who cares? Like I said, the slow cooker can’t do everything (can you?). Even so, my flagging interest in breadmaking just received a needed boost.

The bread took an hour and a half to bake. We’re talking slow cooker, after all. If you somehow get distracted — like I was the next day, overcooking by an hour — at least you need not worry about burnt bread, but it will be dense and soggy. Otherwise, your family (and friends) will be impressed. Mine sure were. Homemade bread never looked finer (or smelled more heavenly).

If I’ve gotten you interested enough to try the recipe below, a word: these rolls are more the texture of brioche than bread (compared to these garlic-parmesan dinner rolls, for instance). That disappointed me at first, but it was a quick getting used to. It’s just a bit different, that’s all. Nice different. Besides, are you thinking what I’m thinking? Slow-cooker ensaimada!

Slow-Cooker Garlic Rolls

If you don’t have a thermometer, splash some of the milk on your inner wrist — it should neither be cold nor uncomfortably warm. You can use garlic powder if you don’t have the granulated kind. This recipe makes two batches of rolls in a standard-size slow cooker. I adapted the technique from a recipe for dinner rolls over at Kleinworth & Co.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 cup milk, warmed to 105-110℉
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar


• ¼ cup melted butter (+ 2 tablespoons, separated)
• ¼ cup honey
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon kalamansi juice (optional)


• granulated garlic
• cooking spray

1. In a bowl, combine warm milk and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over mixture, cover bowl with clear plastic wrap, and place in a warm, draft-free corner until yeast is activated (bubbly).
2. Pour flour into mixer bowl, then add the milk-yeast mixture, along with honey, garlic, salt, kalamansi juice (if using), and ¼ cup of butter. Mix using the hook attachment until dough comes together and no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. If you are doing it by hand, knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. In both cases, you may need to add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, if dough is too wet.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line the slow cooker’s ceramic pot with parchment paper and lightly spray sides and bottom with cooking spray.
4. After dough has rested, roll on a lightly floured surface to form a log. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Form into balls and place as many as will loosely fit in the pot. Brush the tops with remaining butter and sprinkle with granulated garlic. Cover pot and cook on high for 1½ hours.
5. Remove the lid, taking care not to let condensation drip onto the bread. Cover top with a paper towel and replace the lid. Wait 10 minutes before removing. For a darker crust, place bread under a preheated broiler until golden. Serve hot.