Making Bread in a Wonder Oven


Bread, Wonder Oven Cooking

Ahh… this bread.

This is the bread my family continues to ask me to make and it’s the bread I share whenever I teach classes on Wonder Oven (Retained Heat) cooking.

Just imagine… even without power, even without a sun oven you can still make homemade bread!

After an extended break from posting, I’ve decided to make this my first updated post because we love it so much and because it’s the recipe that started ‘Wonder Oven cooking’ for me!

 

How to make bread using a Wonder Oven


A Note About Bread Recipes

Feel free to use your own favorite recipe for any kind of bread in this process – you should have good results.  The reason I like the recipe below is that it’s a simple dump and mix recipe.  I can hand it to my kids and anyone in the family can make bread.  Any other bread recipe will work however.

Note:  the recipe shared below is equal to two loaves of dough.  If exchanging recipes, this might be helpful to know.  The juice cans’ capacity is one loaf of dough (so this recipe is cut in half, each juice can holding half of the dough) and the other two containers are able to hold the entire amount.

Caution:  if you’re wanting to try a sweet bread recipe, you may not have great results.  The extra sugar in those recipes causes a problem as it has to do with the size of container demonstrated here, but never fear, there’s a way.  You’ll want to go with a Wonder oven “muffin” container.  Check this post out for the details on those containers.

A Note About Containers

What’s the difference between the containers? 

I started out my journey making bread in a Wonder Oven using juice cans.  They were free, but they didn’t last very long before they’d begin to rust.  After a lot of searching (see this post) my preferred containers today are either the Asparagus Steamer pot or the Bain Marie pot.  They last longer (no rusting) and they’re simpler to use.  Between these two, they perform the same, but the Bain Marie pot and lid costs much less than the asparagus steamer.  Also, the Bain Marie pot is a bit shorter in height so because of this it fits more easily inside my everyday pots making it more versatile.

The Process 

Below I’ve detailed the difference in process between using the different containers.

Using Juice Cans

Mix up the dough and let it raise once.  After punching it down for the first time put it in two greased 46 ounce juice cans. Fill the two cans about half full with dough and put them in a larger sized pot with two large Mason jars filled with hot water in order to keep the cans from tipping over into the water. Fill the pot with warm water (I do this in the sink), about 2/3 up the can.

Let the bread raise until almost to the top. Very carefully (as not to make the raised dough fall) remove the cans and cover the top with a pre-greased piece of tin foil or the original lid (if you have a Pampered Chef can opener to initially remove the juice can lid with the lid will fit nicely on top and can be used over and over again). Add an elastic band around the tin foil or lid (so that the water doesn’t get into the bread) and don’t forget to add your lid for the large pot.  Bring the water to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Put immediately into the Wonder oven and “bake” for 2 hours.

Container choice #2 & 3:  an asparagus steamer pot with lid – or – a (3.5 quart) Bain Marie pot with lid

Mix up the dough and let it raise once.  After punching it down for the first time put entire amount of dough into either the Asparagus Steamer pot or a (3.5 quart) Bain Marie pot.  Place this pot inside a larger sized pot and fill the pot with warm water about 2/3 up the interior pot. Let the bread raise until it’s about 2-3″ to the top.  Be sure to grease the inside of the Asparagus Steamer pot lid or Bain Marie pot lid.  Put the lid on the large pot and bring the water to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.  Into the Wonder oven it goes ~ for at least 2 hours.

How long does it need to bake?

The great thing is that you can leave it for as long as you need to without worrying that it will overcook. The bread pictured below was in the Wonder oven for a total of about 6 hours, but 2 hours would be the minimum.  If you wanted to start a loaf baking before going to bed, you could have hot fresh bread in the morning!

The bread slides easily out of the cans, nice rounded loaves which then make slices close to the size of a hamburger bun. They have no crusts (which my kids love), and are the same texture as regular bread although much more moist.

 

The Favorite Recipe 

Here’s the recipe I always use when making bread in my Wonder Oven.  Feel free to use it or try another recipe of your own!

Wheat Bread

1 T yeast
2 T sugar
2 cups very warm water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 T oil
4 c. flour (1 1/2 c. wheat)

Mix thoroughly until soft and smooth. Rise 25 minutes until it doubles in size. Punch down. Makes two loaves.

A couple other points:

★Be sure that when you get to the boiling stage that you remember to put the lid from the large pot on (while it’s boiling) ~ it’s important for the lid to get really hot.

★No peeking during the cooking time in the oven!

 

Step by step pictures:

wonder bread 001
Juice cans

Asparagus steamer pot
3.5 quart Bain Marie Pot with Lid
Mix up the dough.
Allow the bread to rise once in the mixing bowl and remember to
grease the cans before putting the dough in them.
wonder bread 003
With your bread containers half filled, fill the larger pot with warm to hot water and
allow the dough to rise again, 25-30 minutes.
Allow the dough to rise until it’s almost to the top of the cans.
wonder bread 008

Remember to grease the insides of the lids or foil.

wonder bread 010

 

If you’re using juice cans, carefully remove
each can from the pot and place the lid/foil
and elastic band on each.

 

If you’re using an Asparagus Steamer pot or Bain Marie pot,

your method is simplified.  No need for foil and rubber bands.

 

wonder bread 012
Bring the pot to the stove to boil for 10 minutes with the lids on.
Place the pot into the Wonder Oven to bake for at least 2 hours.

wonder bread 014

After baking, the bread will slide out easily.
VOILA!

 

Social Sharing

2 Replies to “Making Bread in a Wonder Oven”

  1. Hi! So glad you posted this! A few questions–do you use active dry yeast? Or instant? (I don’t quite know the difference other than the label on the package.) 🙂
    Also, do you use 4 cups of flour with 1 1/2 wheat mixed in? Or replace the 4 cups all together and just use 1 1/2 wheat?
    Thank you! I am excited to try this!

    1. Hi Brittney – Active dry yeast for this recipe. The recipe calls for 4 cups flour total, so it works out to 2 1/2 cups of white flour and 1 1/2 cups wheat. Thanks for the question! I’ll go back and clarify this in the post.
      Enjoy!

Leave a Comment

  • Default Comments (2)
  • Facebook Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *