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.
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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.
When you say paper towel under the lid, do you mean on top of the bread or in the cracks where the lid meets the slow cooker?
Drape the paper towel over the opening of the slow cooker then place the lid on top. The paper towel shouldn’t be touching the bread.
Is there a way to make the bottom a little less crunchy? While it was EXTREMELY crunchy on the bottom, the crust was very thin. It’s delicious and the rest of the loaf is perfect! (I did not put it in the broiler because I was too eager to try it!)
I don’t think there is a way to prevent this. Since the bread is sitting directly on the bottom of the slow cooker, it’s going to cook more in that area. You could try making a foil dish to place the loaf in so it’s off the bottom of the slow cooker and see how that works.
Do we need to change the amount of water used if we use active dry yeast? Or do we just pour the water with the activated yeast into the dry mixture?
You use the same amount of water but follow the instructions in note 2 below the recipe.
Has anyone tried this with sourdough starter?
Jen’s Slow Cooker Bread recipe is one of my favorites. I often add dates, raisins, dried cranberries, or olives to give this bread a more artisanal flavor and appearance. Easy and foolproof.
I would not have believed how easy (and how forgiving) Jen’s slow cooker bread truly is. I have flavored it many different ways with chopped olives, mejdool dates, sauteed onions, basil, pepper and many more. In an emergency I have doubled the yeast, proofed it for two hours at 100-degrees and popped it in an oven and in 2 hours 45 min you have fresh artisan bread. WOW THANKS, JEN!
I tried this recipe 3 times now and I find that the outside always ends up to hard to cut and the inside fully cooked but still so dense and doughy.
We love this recipe – it takes 5 minutes to prep and practically no effort. It is the cheapest option when it comes to bread, yet it tastes like an artisan loaf. I have been sifting the flour before measuring it and it seems to help create a light texture. Also, definitely broil the loaf with some extra flour at the end for a beautiful crust!
I have made this bread about 7 times now (sorry for delayed review) and it’s a HIT in our home. I do not put it in the boiler to get that golden crispy top, I just start the crock pot half hour earlier and it comes out golden and crispy. Thank you for this amazing recipe
What do you mean when you say you start the crackpot half an hour early. Do you mean that you sort of “preheat” the empty crackpot or do you cook the bread an extra half an hour?
Curious because I’ve never made this and I want it to be good when I do.
I wonder if I can use the same recipe to make crockpot whole wheat bread and rye bread. What do you think? I made the white crockpot bread on Friday, and the loaf is almost gone. It was terrific!
That’s a good question. I’ve never attempted to make either of those in the slow cooker. I imagine it would work okay with subbing up to half of the white flour for either whole wheat or rye. I wouldn’t sub all of it.