May 17, 2008 - 6:40am
Bake bread in an electric roaster?
Has anyone ever baked bread in an electric roaster--the kind you use for roasting a turkey or for serving at an informal buffet? Were you pleased with the results?
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Has anyone ever baked bread in an electric roaster--the kind you use for roasting a turkey or for serving at an informal buffet? Were you pleased with the results?
Why don't you try it and document the method. I'd like to see that work.
Eric
Me too! I am eager to find out. SueLynn
Since my first post I've Googled baking bread in an electric roaster and found only a few instances of people who have tried it. I'm looking for a cooler baking method for the summer, and thought I could plug in the roaster in the basement. I'll post my results in a few days when I need to bake again.
Since the heat comes from a ring around the roaster, you need to have the loaf on the rack and then turn it on its side during the last part of the baking to achieve browning.
I baked two loaves of whole-wheat/rye bread in my 20-quart electric roaster yesterday. The manual says to bake in metal pans; I used 9" x 5" aluminum loaf pans. The manufacturer's instructions are to insert the roaster's removable baking pan, set the roaster to 400 degrees, then preheat for 15 to 20 minutes until red indicator light turns off. Then you place the roasting rack into the removable roasting pan, place the bread pan(s) on the rack, place the lid on the roaster oven and bake.
According to the manual, yeast bread will bake in 40 to 45 minutes, but after 40 minutes my bread's internal temperature was only up to about 160 degrees. I upped the temperature dial to 425 degrees and baked the bread for about another 20 minutes until the internal temperature was 201 degrees. I used a digital cooking thermometer which has a probe attached to an external monitor. The loaves browned ok, so I didn't place them on their sides as suggested by swtgran on May 19 (thank you for the tip, though). When I removed the loaves I wore Ove Gloves on both hands because it's easy to inadvertently touch the hot rim or inside walls of the oven.
The bread would have risen higher in 8" x 4" pans and it would have had more oven spring in a standard oven. I guess I'll go back to baking bread in my kitchen oven, but it's nice to know that the electric roaster is an option. If I try it again I'll preheat to 425 degrees.
Sorry, no pics--we still don't have a digital camera. I ate a couple slices of the bread for breakfast, and it's good.
John who posted on May 19: Yours appears to be a convection oven, not an electric roaster.
Campers beware: According to the manual, electric roaster ovens are not to be used outdoors.
When using the electric roaster, I always preheat the unit with removable portion out and the lid on the heating roaster. Once it hits 450, I quickly replace the insert containing whatever I am going to cook and put the lid on. I wait a couple of minutes before turning heat down to recommended temperature, to allow the roaster to recover from the heat lost when lid is removed.
I am wondering if the cord to your thermometer allowed heat to escape from the slightly elevated lid, thus reducing the temperature and extending the heating time?
I use my roaster outside on the porch all summer long. I think that is a disclaimer to protect the company from people who would try to cook in the rain, put it where someone would trip over the cord, etc.
Glad to have the benefit of your experience using an electric roaster for baking, swtgran; I'll try your pre-heating method next time. I thought it was odd that the manual didn't instruct to place the lid on the unit during preheating.
I didn't insert the thermometer until I tested the bread at 40 minutes. You're right, though, the cord, even though it's very thin, could allow heat to escape. What kind of breads do you bake in the roaster, and how long do you bake it? Do you test it with a thermometer, or just tap the bottom?
Summer baking is the reason I tried the electric roaster in the first place, and you've inspired me to try it again. I could put it in the garage or in the basement when I bake.
Well, https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-bake-in-a-roaster-oven/ may be helpful here for baking bread in a roaster oven.