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–+ servings
Slow cooker bread with two slices cut off.
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5 from 9 votes

Easy Slow Cooker Bread

This easy slow cooker bread recipe uses just four ingredients and needs no separate proving time. A simple beginner-friendly way to make soft and fluffy homemade bread without turning on the oven.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Cooling time30 minutes
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Diet: Low Fat, Vegan
Allergen: Gluten
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 152kcal
Author: Dannii Martin

Equipment

  • Slow cooker or Crock Pot

Ingredients

  • 500 g of Strong white bread flour
  • 7 g of Fast-action yeast
  • 1 teaspoon of Fine sea salt
  • 350 ml of Lukewarm water
UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures

Instructions

  • Mix the dry ingredients: Put 500 g of Strong white bread flour, 1 tsp of Fine sea salt and 7 g of Fast-action yeast into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  • Add the water: Make a well in the centre and pour in 350 ml of Lukewarm water.
  • Gently mix: Use a wooden spoon to gradually pull the flour into the water until everything comes together into a rough, workable dough.
    • Don't worry if it looks a little untidy at this stage. Kneading is what turns it into a smooth dough.
  • Knead the dough: Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until it feels smooth, stretchy and elastic. By hand, this will usually take around 8-10 minutes.
    If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can use that instead and stop when the dough is smooth and elastic.
    • Try not to keep adding flour unless the dough is genuinely too sticky to handle. Adding lots of extra flour can make the finished bread dry and dense.
  • Shape the dough: Shape the dough into a tight ball.
  • Put onto baking paper: Put it onto a piece of lightly oiled baking paper. If you like, cut a deep cross into the top of the dough with a sharp knife.
    Use the paper to lift the dough into the slow cooker.
    • ⚠️ Do not preheat the slow cooker for this recipe. The gradual heating is part of what allows the dough to rise while it cooks.
  • Cook on HIGH: Put the lid on and cook on HIGH.
    • In my 4.5 litre oval slow cooker, the loaf takes around 2 hours 30 minutes.
    Slow cookers vary considerably, so treat this as a guide rather than an exact universal time. If you know yours runs particularly hot, start checking a little earlier.
    Try not to repeatedly lift the lid during cooking, as every time you open it you release heat.
  • Check the bread is cooked: Carefully lift out the loaf using the baking paper. The base should feel firm and crusty and should sound hollow when tapped.
    For the most reliable check, insert a digital food thermometer into the centre. I look for an internal temperature of around 95°C/200°F.
    If the loaf isn't ready, return it to the slow cooker and cook for another 10-15 minutes before checking again.
  • Brown the top (optional): Your bread is fully cooked at this point, but the top will naturally be paler than bread baked in an oven.
    For a darker, crunchier finish you can:
    - Put it in an air fryer at 180°C for around 4-5 minutes.
    - Put it into a hot oven at 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 for around 5-10 minutes.
    - Or turn the loaf over, remove the baking paper and cook it in the slow cooker for a little longer so the top makes contact with the hot pot.
    • Watch it carefully whichever finishing method you choose, as the crust can colour quickly.
  • Let it cool: This is the difficult bit when the kitchen smells like freshly baked bread.
    Put the loaf on a wire rack and leave it for around 30 minutes before slicing.
    Cutting into bread immediately releases a lot of steam and can squash the crumb, leaving it slightly gummy rather than light and fluffy.

Notes

  • Strong bread flour gives the best structure and rise.
  • The water should be lukewarm rather than hot.
  • There is no separate proving stage; the dough rises while the slow cooker heats.
  • Slow cooker temperatures vary, so the cooking time is a guide.
  • A pale, soft top is normal and doesn't mean the loaf is undercooked.
  • For a part-wholemeal loaf, replace up to half the strong white flour with strong wholemeal flour.
  • Baking paper prevents sticking and makes the loaf much easier to lift out.
  • Cool the loaf before slicing so the crumb has time to set.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fibre: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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