Crockpot Cooking: Baking Tips and Techniques

After reading Crockpot Cooking: Baking Tips and Techniques if you have not been using a crock pot slower cooker it is my belief that you will be ready to give this type of cooking a try this summer. Yes, that is correct crockpots can be used for baking. I know in the 80’s there were a few recipes that one could prepare within this stoneware; however, now there is so many more. No longer are slow cookers just for stews and soups.

Also, this stoneware technology has more to offer than crockpots of the past. I can recall in the past having to almost scrap and scour food that would stick to the sides of the stoneware. Well now there are kitchen accessories that assist in preventing food from sticking, however that is another subject for another day.

So back to baking in a crock pot slow cooker; in the past one of my favorite recipes has been a zucchini bread loaf that was cooked in a coffee can within a crockpot that a coworker used to make. It’s unfortunate to have lost contact with that co-worker but, she never would share that recipe while we worked together. This bread loaf was always super moist and delicious. Needless to say, I discovered enough research while writing this hub to be able to duplicate this recipe now.

The following conversion table provides a means of converting from conventional oven cooking times to slow cooker cooking times.

1.5 hours on HIGH - 4 to 8 hours on LOW                                                                                   

3 to 4 hours on HIGH - 6 to 10 hours on LOW

4 to 6 hours on HIGH - 8 to 18 hours on LOW

15 to 30 minutes

30 to 40 minutes

50 minutes to 3 hours

Of course, such a chart should be used once one has become familiar with crock pot cooking techniques. For example, usually prior to the Breville EasySear Cooker all browning had to be done in a separate pan prior to slow cooking. If you do not have the Breville, then a browning step will need to be done if required by the recipe.

Baked Potatoes are awesome when cooked in a crock pot slow cooker. Food preparation is a breeze in less than a couple of minutes you can have your side dish ready cooking for dinner this evening.  Simply wash the potatoes, wrap in aluminum, take a fork and punch holes in the potatoes, turn the crockpot on low for 8 hours, and go.

Tips for Testing a Crockpot

Bacteria growth is rapid between the temperatures of 40 and 140 degrees and it is very important that food should not be in this range for more than four hours. Take a food thermometer and perform the following test to ensure that your crockpot is reaching the correct temperature. Individuals should test a crock pot to be sure of its ability to reach above a 140 degree temperature within four hours and then again within eight hours.

Prepare a hearty recipe like chili or stew on the low setting and check within four hours to make sure that your crock pot is reaching above a 140 degrees. If the crock pot slow cooker is old and not heating properly; it is should be thrown away and replaced. If it is brand new then return it to the store for a replacement. Proper food safety should be taken with a slow cooker just as it would be with any other method of cooking

Please keep in mind that every baking recipe will not require this suggested cooking technique; nonetheless, to show the versatility of the crock pot I felt it would be fun to include it. The video to your right for this particular cake does not require any additional utensils, however to cook the zucchini bread recipe, one would need to follow the below baking techniques:

• Begin by wrapping a 1 to 3-pound coffee can with at least a double thickness of paper towels.
• There should be enough room left between the coffee can and the crock pot for heat to be well circulated on the top, bottom and both sides.
• If the crock pot comes with an insertable rack it should be placed in the bottom of the stoneware. If one does not have such a rack, foil may be crushed to a 1-inch thickness and placed in the bottom to ensure heat movement.
• Spray the inside of the coffee can with Pam or some type of vegetable shortening.
• Batter should be filled only to the halfway point of the can to allow for rising.
• The high temperature is the best crockpot setting for baking.
• Lift the lid only once near the end of baking time to check for doneness. Keep in mind that lifting several times to peek for progress prolongs cooking time because of the escape of necessary heat.
• Remember to use pot holders to lift can from the stoneware whenever the cake or bread is done.
• Open the bottom of the can with a can opener and push the food out.

Crock pots can make a perfect gift for someone who has never used one or has not cooked with one since the ‘70s. This would be a perfect gift for a college bound student who could whip up and inexpensive meal when money gets a little tight. At the beginning of this series, I had only one slow cooker, now I’m seriously thinking that perhaps there’s a need for at least one more. An individual could then cook the main course and a side dish like potatoes or rice and have the meal completed upon arrival from work.

This is the conclusion of Crockpot Cooking: Baking Tips and Techniques as one can see cooking with this stoneware has become easier than ever. If you are now very interested in crockpot cooking, be sure to check out my other hubs on this subject. There should be a tab with a link to the next one below near the comment section.

And so in departing a note to the reader: I hope you liked this article and I would appreciate if you leave a comment, rate it, share it, and/or Digg it. Thanks You!

Namaste’