Slow Cooker Bread
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Homemade Slow Cooker Bread is always much more delicious than store-bought, and this recipe couldn’t be easier. This simple white bread is easy to make and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Once you make your first loaf of bread in the slow cooker you will want to make it every week. This bread recipe can be used as a base for so many different variations!
When you want homemade bread without much hassle, get out your trusted slow cooker! Enjoy slow cooker bread as an appetizer or side to any dish. It’s especially great with soup.
Out of all the bread I’ve made, this slow cooker version just might be my favorite.
I mean, who would have thought a loaf this gorgeous could be produced in a small appliance designed to slowly cook meats, vegetables, and soups. I just can’t get over how lovely it is.
I’ve dabbled in the slow cooker method before. I made slow cooker orange sweet rolls and slow cooker monkey bread. Each was tasty but nothing like today’s bread.
I’ve also made so many other variations of bread, from rosemary olive beer bread to the best ever banana bread, the list goes on and on. But, I am loving how slow cooker bread turns out.
It has the texture of a steam bun – so soft and moist.
This bread is possibly the easiest of yeast bread. The dough is prepped the night before simply by mixing all the ingredients together. Then, it sits on the countertop with plastic wrap over the top.
When you wake up the dough will have developed gluten and doubled, almost tripled, in size. And it will smell of wonderful yeast dough. I love that smell!
When you are ready to bake the bread, just turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over on itself a couple times. Shape it into a ball and place it in the slow cooker.
It takes around two hours to bake. The effort is minimal and the reward is great!
There’s no kneading and no waiting for the dough to rise before baking. It will plump up in the slow cooker and turn into a beautiful rustic bread.
Bread in the slow cooker will not brown. The crust will remain light in color. Because of this, I like to pop it under the broiler for about 5 minutes once it’s finished baking. This will give the crust a lovely golden color.
This is why I love baking! ⇓⇓
*Always double check your slow cooker’s manufacturer instructions before attempting this recipe. Some models require the pot to be partially filled with liquid to avoid safety or durability problems. Also, never leave the slow cooker unattended.
Slow Cooker Bread
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (455 g) bread flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, 1 envelope
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) warm water, 105-115°F
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Stir with a whisk. Slowly pour in the water. Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended and the dough forms into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it set on the counter overnight, 8-18 hours.
- Line the bowl of the 6-quart slow cooker with parchment paper.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With well-floured hands, flatten the dough into a 9-inch circle, then fold it over onto itself and shape it into a ball. Place the dough into the prepared slow cooker. Place a double layer of paper towel under the lid to prevent condensation from dripping onto the rolls. Turn the slow cooker on high and cook for 2 hours or until the bread is cooked through. The temperature should register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the bread by lifting them out with the parchment paper.
- The fully cooked bread will have a light, soft crust. If you desire a golden crispy crust, place the bread under the broiler for 5 minutes. Set the bread on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Always double check your slow cooker’s manufacturer instructions before attempting this recipe. Some models require the pot to be partially filled with liquid to avoid safety or durability problems. Also, never leave the slow cooker unattended.
- All-purpose flour can be used in place of bread flour. But keep in mind there will be a slight texture difference. Bread flour contains more protein. This absorbs more moisture and creates a chewy texture that is well known in bread. All-purpose flour has less protein and will not absorb as much of the water. This will affect the overall texture.
- Active dry yeast can be used in place of instant yeast. You must activate it in the warm water with a pinch of sugar first. Let it sit for 5 minutes. If it doesn’t foam up, you will need to try again with new yeast.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
Hi!
I love this recipe.
Last night I prepped the dough – this morning hits not risen.
I followed the recipe exactly except I had to add 200g of gluten-free bread flour and I didn’t have enough regular.
Is there something I can add at this stage to make it as puffy as it should be? ?
I have no experience with baking yeast bread using gluten-free flour. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
Hi!
Thank you for the reply, I appreciate it.
The bread actually turned out quite nice – not as good as it usually does and a lot more dense – but it wasn’t an epic failure.
Thanks again,
Your recipe and method is great, I use it a lot. 🙂
Can whole wheat flour be used in this recipe? Thanks.
Whole wheat flour absorbs too much liquid. You’d need to adjust the recipe to account for that.
Hi my slow cooker only has one setting “low” do you think it would work if I doubled the cooking time.
Unfortunately, not. The low setting takes too long to reach temperature and the bread may not rise properly.
Have made several loaves since lock down. I’ve added seeds. Makes a fantastic loaf.
First time I made any bread
This worked out great
Tastes good also
Hello. This recipe sounds fabulous. Unfortunately, my entire family is Gluten Sensitive. Can I make this Gluten Free?
Thank you.
Debbie
I don’t have experience making gluten-free yeast bread so I’m not sure how to change the recipe. You can probably find some gluten-free bread recipes online though.
This is a great recipe, thank you!
I activated dry yeast by using 1 tbsp, 2 tsp sugar with half cup warm tap water, let it sit for 15min.
To get the dough to rise quicker, I followed a tip from another recipe and put my oven on 80-90° Celsius, let it heat up, turned it OFF and placed the dough in a bowl, in the oven, covered with a wet tea towel. I let it rise there for an hour and a half. I also brushed it with butter before grilling/broiling it for 2min max, watched it the entire time because things change quickly! Worked out beautifully!
Slow cooker bread is meant to not need a rise because the dough rises as it slowly cooks but I’m glad to hear this worked for you.
Can I make sourdough bread using a starter in the crockpot?
I’ve never made sourdough bread so I can’t really answer this.
I only have a massive crockpot. How can I use this recipe in the oven?
The recipe is designed to be baked in a slow cooker. You can try baking it in the oven but it will need a second rise before baking and I can’t guarantee it will turn out properly.
Hello,
Looking forward to making this recipe, but wondering if you can freeze it the same as your English muffins?
Thanks!
Anne
Yes, all bread freezes beautifully.
I don’t have an oven nor a broiler. Would turning the bread over in the crockpot in the last 30 minutes work to brown the other side?
I’ve never thought of that and have no idea if it would work.
If you use dry yeast and mix it with water do you reduce the amount of water by what you added to the yeast?? #nevermadebread
You’re warming all the water for the recipe so just toss the yeast in it with a pinch of sugar and let it sit for 5 minutes to foam up. Then continue with making the dough.