Baking Bread in a Pillowcase 

I make stovetop flat bread that I prefer over oven baking! I use an outdoor propane stove because it’s summer, but it can be done on a rocket stove. It’s simple, make your dough, I just use a simple flour, water, yeast, and salt. Make balls a little bigger than a golf ball, and rise them in a bowl with a little oil until it’s doubled, then hand stretch like little pizzas, and cook in a dry hot pan for a few minutes each side. Fluffy, chewy, heavenly. I can have bread on the table in an hour any time I want.

used an electric skillet to baked bread just a couple days ago because my oven wouldnt heat up. the bread did fine. did put a rack in the skillet so the heat would circulate as you said in the video. bread didnt brown on top but did in the pan. i used glass pans, made 2 loaves that way. was a fun experiment.

I can just imagine y'all this morning. Pam: As soon as I finish drying my hair I really need to think of a fun, unique way to bake bread. Jim: I wish I could help. What do you want me to do with this old pillowcase? I can't find the other one. Pam: 😮 😊 ❤

What a fantastic explanation of the science behind baking bread! Thank you! (I just had a mental vision of a safety tag on a hair dryer that says Do No Use To Bake Bread. 😂)

Funny, I used to use the old, old bonnet hair dryer that you could unhook from the round base. In winter we put it under the sheets to warm the covers before jumping in. Fast forward to 2021, I was in hospital for kidney stones & freezing so they put "the Exact" hose running warm air for under my sheets. I could have been a millionaire! 😂

I baked a dozen white loaves & a dozen wheat loaves of bread 1st thing every morning for 10 years for the restaurant I worked at. It would have greatly benefited me to hear your explanation when I first started learning. This was an excellent video. Thank you

Pam & Jim......I can't tell you how much you two totally enhance my life. Jim, your camera abilities are over the top. Pam wouldn't be as good as she is without your skills presenting her topics. Pam, your energy makes me want to get up off my duff and get stuff done. Your enthusiasm and experimentations just thrill me. You are rubbing off on me girl! Lol. That's all. I just want you to know that you affect my life in a BIG, positive way and for that I am grateful. Please take care of yourselves and each other for me cuz I'd be lost without you guys now. P.S. I just purchased that salad keeper with the included silverware and the lunch boxes........AWESOME on both counts! I've also gotten many other things cuz you've showed them to us. You two are the best! ♥

You can bake bread in a Dutch oven quite well. Preheat the pot over a wood or charcoal fire, put the bread in, put a few coals under the Dutch oven and a few more on top. Not too many or you will burn the bread. Another way is to make a hearth of bricks. Heat it by building a small fire on it. Sweep away the coals, put the bread on the hearth and cover with an iron or clay pot or a tin pail. Put some coals on top. Enjoy your fresh baked bread while camping out. There are good videos on baking in a Dutch oven by Townsends and Cowboy Ken Rollins.

I used a rice cooker once to bake bread, thank you for sharing ideas outside of the box😊

You guys never cease to amaze! Thanks for an interesting and fun experiment. I always learn something new in your videos, even though I’ve been in the kitchen for many decades.😊

Hi Pam and Jim! I was just thinking that an “apple box” foil lined cardboard box with the hair dryer taped to the box, might get hotter. However, that was such a fun experiment. I wouldn’t use that method though as my solar generator would probably give out before the bread was finished with the high wattage hair dryer. What fun! Thank you for the video.

Seeing this video gave me the thought that if say a college student wanted to bake a bread product like frozen dough, rolls or biscuits etc... They could do this. Perhaps other items to bake that are super simple. Or you could make a cardboard box lined with foil and have the blow dryer hooked up to that and heat or bake foods. Quick cheap and readily available items. This video give interesting food for thought. Thanks love the videos

This was just playing fun! I loved it ❤i never would have even dreamed you could bake bread like this. Another winning video 😊

I just received The Ember oven. I wanted this for grid down baking. I can use inside with canned cooking fuel or outside as a rocket stove with twigs, coal, etc. It has a gauge on the front. I will be trying this out today. I will update you after I bake cookies.

I saw that image too, of a woman in Houston Texas baking bread in her brick mailbox. I grew up in Houston, and my mom had a solar oven. It often got up past 400°f. She's a good cook, but the solar oven cooked things so hot and fast that she burned cookies and overcooked ribs. As a scientist myself, I 100% believe that you can bake beautiful browned bread in a brick mailbox (which does intensify the heat) on a hot Houston day

Amazing! I wondered when I saw the title of the video if it was literally what you were going to do. I would have done the experiment outside so the hairdryer would not add heat to the house during the summer.

Reminds me of when we made eggs & bacon in a paper bag on one of our Girl Scout camp outs ages ago. If you do this again you might consider putting a draw-string around the end of the pillowcase. That would make it easier to pull up snug around the business end of the hair dryer prior to attaching the rubber band. I really enjoy your take on the topics you cover. Thanks!

I baked bread in my hay box, using the thermal cooking method, using a water bath in the bottom, putting the loaf tin in the top. Boiled the water with the loaf tin inside for 5 minutes or so, then put in the hay box for the day.

I laughed when I saw the title for this video and was amazed when it worked. Interesting that the only browning was on the bottom. Thinking that one could also make a "hairdryer oven" using heavy duty aluminum foil with some air perforations, which might provide top browning if desired. It's probably a bit expensive to run a hairdryer for 2 hours of course. This was an amusing and interesting video. TY ❣

This title really grabbed me today lol. Then I started reading the comments of your smart and very talented followers.. me you ask.. well I tried to make bread 55 yrs ago and I think I broke out bottom of garbage can when I threw it away.

Just love the seemingly zany food science experiments!!! Thank you so much for combining your creativity with the science of baking bread. :-)

I baked this bread and it turned out so good! I did add some onion flakes and some garlic powder plus some dill seeds. My husband likes dill a lot. Lol I took a picture but couldn’t find it on my phone so next time I’ll take another picture and send it to you. Thank you for doing the recipe.

Pam and Jim, you two are so creative! I bet the two of you got into mischief when you are younger!

Your experiment has got my brain wondering, can I bake bread at a lower temperature to get the rise and then turn it up to get the browning, I make rye and wholemeal bread and both can be quite dense, will try it and let you know how I get on.

I had to share your page to my fb because you scientifically teach us and I feel safe when I watch you! I live in Phoenix and I am stressing preservation and you are the person to teach us! Ii am a healthcare professional so I know this is true!

It was fun to watch. I will not be using this method to cook my bread. Thank you again, for doing this.

In this heat 105*+ in the California Sierras we are using our solar oven a lot!!

You two always offer something unique. A pillowcase?! I’ve done it on an open campfire, bbq grill, and stovetop. Now experimenting with AF. Have a loaf in the AF right now. Biscuits worked great so have high hopes for this bread. Thanks for all you do. Yours is a FUN channel!

LOL when i saw the title, I thought, "Oh lordy, what is she up to now?" Interesting experiment. One i may need some day.

Great fun watching you bake bread in a pillow case with a hair dryer thanks for an uplift for the day. From Australia.

I love a crazy experiment!!

You are so so fun to watch! Homeschooler Mom 😅ready to try this 😊

This was a fun experiment! Thank you so much for doing it and sharing it as you did it for the first time.

I love your videos ! You are a truly passionate educator !! Thank you so much 💕 I learn whenever I watch your videos. So awesome and creative 🙌🏻

Phoenix has now had 19 days with high temperature of 110° or hotter which is a new record. Average temperature high has been around 114°. Today had a new record morning low of 97°. This is the warmest low ever recorded in Phoenix. According to weather reports no relief is in sight. Waiting and praying for the Monsoon rains to break this heat. Very interesting video!

Great Job Pam., thanks for sharing 9-8-2023❤

i love a good experiment and now i have a better understanding of what it takes to bake a loaf of bread. My mind is open.

Speaking of the heat, i live in Central Texas where humidity can be high at times but the oven dry heat gets intollerable. I got rid of my refrigerated ACs and bought a "swamp cooler". I absolutely love it. We have fans through the house to help move the cooler air. If I feel chilly in the evenings, i just turn the pump off.

How fun- I might use a ittle torch on the top to get some brown

Beautiful coral blouse with your complexion and hair! Beautiful. Linen does wrinkle horribly but I'm with you... Who cares, it's cooler.

Thanks for the video and closed captions. Your technique and explanation today started me thinking. I make my own panko crumbs--a LOT of them. And it is desirable to remove the browned parts, the crusts, before turning it into crumbs. Now, I don't really care about that, and use the crusts anyway. BUT, it appears that baking at a slightly lower temperature would prevent the browning and make my panko a little "nicer." Thanks again!

That was a cute demonstration! I will tell my elementary science co-worker about this one as she likes to experiment cooking foods with the kiddo's.

You're both so fun! Thanks for being up for anything experimental with bread. God bless!

Forget the rubber band duct tape lol This is awesome!! Kid project is a great idea!!!

I’m a retired dietitian and I just love all your videos

Love the experiment. Wish I had time to try something like that but thank you for doing it for us.

What a great experience!!

On the Western Slope we are hitting 101-107 degrees. It's hot. This made me think how it might work well in your car - Is it like a mobile solar oven LOL. I will try and let you know how that works. I will set up in the back window a black poster board, then a reflective sheet to direct the heat and sun back towards the bread. I'll let you know how it works. I do like the mail box in Texas idea LOL. Interesting ideas.

That was a fun experiment. Amazing what we can do if we put our minds to work. Blessings ❤️🌺

I would be so afraid to over heat the hair dryer and cause a fire. But it is an interesting method to say the list.

What fun to watch! I chuckled my way through the whole experiment..great job.

What a fun experiment and all the funny comments. Everyone was great. I also have a backup hairdryer, would not like being caught with my hair half done, you know what a dried out dandelion looks like just before the seeds blow off. Yup a hot mess!

Stranger than fiction, but such a cool experiment. Thank you for sharing.

Heat gun hubby has one. Gotta try it for fun

Well, it was a cool experiment!

Love it! Not only fun but a science lesson. Thank you

Very cool! Have a blessed day ❤❤

You are a wonderful. Thank you. This was fun

As far as the mailbox bread was concerned, I too saw that and since I live in south Louisiana and I tried it and the bread just kept rising and rising... As far as baked bread it was a FAIL for me, so I guess it didn't get hot enough to kill the yeast. In the future if I need to bake in the sun I'll have to use a different method.

i LOVE when you do experiments!

Pam: I hope you didn't ruin your hair dryer. Interesting experiment. No need to worry about hot objects if your countertop is granite. I believe it is safe up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. You do want to be sure to seal it a couple of times per year though. Acids are the worst enemy of granite.

I never iron my summer linen tops. I tumble it to get the washing machine wrinkles out, smooth out the seams, and then hang to dry. It might be my imagination but I think it’s cooler. I call it “beach” linen. 😉

😆🤣😆🤣 Who knew! You're amazing Pam. 💐💙🙏🇺🇸

Thx for doing this and sharing. 👍👍👍👍👍

What an interesting video! 👍👍👍😀💕🌸🌱

I saw that but I believe that was a spoof. That was a mailbox inside bricks. That box I don't think would get hot enough to bake bread. NOW if it had been just a plain metal black mail box I would have believed it.

That was certainly unexpected--but fun!

My late mother used to keep an extra hairdryer and curling iron for the same reason. 😂🙃 Thank you for sharing.

I can’t wait to do this with my Grandkids.

The lady in Texas was joking. She didn’t really bake it in the mailbox. 😅

This may be needed if it's very cold in the house. Thanks for the experiment!

Put one rubber band around the hairdryer and a second one around the outside of the pillowcase just slightly above the first one. Friction will hold the pillowcase in place.

Hi guys. Thank you. I also wondered about a rocket stove. But how clever to think the pillow case. I wonder if I can come up with something. Well, you gave me something to think about. Thank you both. Take care, and God bless

That's amazing!!😃👍🏽🙏🏽💖

How do you come up with things like this, you are too funny. Love it

WOW, it worked. Thanks.

QUESTION; Would it bake better if the doughballs were smaller? Thanks for the vid. Love your work.

I am literally here because a whole freaking massive facebook group told me not to watch your videos for "reason", and wouldn't elaborate. I just had to see what sort of outlaw rebel baking and canning was happening here.

The woman in Texas who posted the picture of her taking a loaf of bread out of the mailbox was posted ad a joke. She posts funny things for her grandchildren. I live near the county where that woman lives, and I'm going to try to bake rolls in my mailbox next month.

the both of you are awesome ,,,just letting you know.

That was fun!! Had not considered making bread with a hair dryer and pilliwcase. If the baked bread no longer smells yeasty..its done then.

Interesting I just wonder why someone asked that. The hairdryer uses so much more electricity than other options 🤔🧐

The picture I saw of the Texas woman baking bread in her mailbox reminded me of the brick bread oven I used to have. Once the bricks warm up, it could very well have cook a browned loaf of bread.

Interesting experiment!

Wow I'm glad you and Jim are okay that heat is just unbelievable

Wow! You mean I'm drying my hair at 172*? No wonder it looks the way it does!

That was brilliant!

Seems like it would burn out the motor in the hair dryer rather quickly. Fun experiment, but I think I’d prefer other methods of baking bread if I didn’t have an oven at the ready.

It’s ok… you shouldn’t have to apologize. I live in AZ. We have hit 117 & 118 in Mesa for several days over the last week or so. And since we take our temps in the shade? Well I wouldn’t be surprised it would be in the high 120-30’s!!! I’m sure that is what the article was referring to when you read it.

lovely channel

I can't wait to try various methods.

The lady in TX said the mailbox bread was a joke. She never thought it would go viral!

The woman who supposedly made the bread in the mailbox in Katy, Tx has totally admittedly it was a joke that she sent to friends that went viral. She meant no harm. And was totally not expecting the attention.

Amazing

That’s so amazing!!!!!

Same issue with my sun oven, i like crust lol

I like the hair dryer idea but maybe with a rackin a box

What a fun experiment!!!! I'm wondering if you would have faster results and browner bread using a heat gun instead of a hair dryer. But maybe it would be too hot...

Love this!

That is pretty cool but I would have to be very hungry to eat that bread.