Crock-pot Bread
Can you really make bread in a crock-pot? The answer is yes!! It is amazing, but the crock-pot can be used to make just about anything that can be baked.
And the crock-pot bread turns out so nice and moist, too!
It just started getting hot here in the Pacific Northwest a few weeks ago (it’s August 2012 as I write). I have not been wanting to use the oven (no surprise), so I have been using my crock-pot even more for creating unconventional crock-pot food like granola and bread.
I got the idea to bake bread in the crock-pot from this post @ Busy Mom’s Menu Plan, and then did more researching on-line because I like to have several sources if possible before I venture into something new.
I have made this same size loaf of bread in my 7 quart and my 2 quart crock-pots (I broke my 5 quart and am currently holding out for a good price, so by Christmastime).
Update 1/7/13**I just got a 4.5 quart last month and like that size best to cook the bread, as I have made it several times in the 4.5 quart already. I even store the bread in there (if there is leftovers), when I know I won’t use that crock-pot.
If you want to make a bread in the crock-pot, but don’t want to make sourdough bread, you can try your own bread dough recipe, and I’d love to know how it goes, especially if it is a non-white flour version.
Crock-pot Homemade (Sourdough) Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- prepared bread dough-if you use your own bread dough recipe the amount of dough you use should make 1 loaf pan (go here for the complete sourdough dough recipe which is made of 2 cups white whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups filtered water, 1/4 cup sourdough start (go here for the start recipe),1 t salt)
Instructions
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Grease your crock-pot with coconut or olive oil, or line crock-pot with parchment paper.
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Place dough in the crock-pot. You can cover the dough with a paper towel or a thin wash cloth to absorb the moisture on top. I didn't do that on my first loaf, hence it looks a little glossy on top.
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Cook on high 2 1/2 hours checking after 2 hours. Wipe off any excess moisture on the lid when you take off the lid.
The Verdict: If presentation is important to you, I would bake this in the oven. Although, if you cut the crock-pot bread for presentation, it looks great, and the bread is still so yummy. This really is a great way to get some baking done without using the oven. It keeps the house way cooler, and the bread is still really tasty!
Update 2/28/13**If you want a harder texture on top of the bread, and you don’t mind using your oven, broil the bread for about 5 minutes, watching it carefully so it doesn’t burn.
I figured out the ingredients cost $0.61/loaf to make. You can go here to see the actual cost breakdown. I don’t know the price comparison of using the oven verses the crock-pot, but I think you save money using your crock-pot here, too!
Go here for the complete list of recipes.
Have you tried other Crazy Crock-pot Recipes?
Want other sourdough ideas?
How about Sourdough Doughnuts?
You can make sourdough pizza crust, calzones, or bread sticks with the same sourdough pizza crust recipe.
How about Crock-pot Sourdough Caprese Pizza?
Or do you want to try making your own sourdough start and sourdough bread in the oven? Try this recipe…
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Hello, Thanks for sharing this recipe and the story. I really like the idea of baking bread with a slow cooker! My favorite sour dough rye bread recipe includes a step after baking; “take out of dutch oven and put on baking sheet. Return to oven 425degrees for ten minutes or so, until measures 205 degrees inside loaf.” It sounds like a step like that might improve the look and the crumb of the crust of slow cooker bread. I’d like to try it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks for sharing, and you are welcome!
what would be the temp. in a crock pot that has degree settings instead of high and low? thanks
Hi Birene. I hate to tell you that I’ve never used a crock-pot with actual temperatures. That’s very interesting! According to this article, high is about 300°. So I would try 300°. I really hope that helps!
I need to know how to make the sourdough starter?.
Hi Steven. It’s one part filtered water to one part flour. The instructions are in this link: https://practical-stewardship.com/2012/04/18/sourdough-starter-and-basic-3-ingredient-sourdough-bread-recipe/ Hope you enjoy!
Do you still have to flour the dough until its not sticky and let it rise for an hour before putting it in the crock pot?? I doesn’t specify, it just says plop it in…my dough is on hour 8 of 16 🙂 of sitting on the counter! Can t wait to taste my first attempt at sourdough bread!!
Yes, Brielle! Flour the dough so it’s not sticky and let it rise before putting it in the crock. Hope you enjoy!
Yes, Brielle! Flour the dough so it’s not sticky and let it rise again before putting it in the crock. Hope you enjoy!
Your Crock Pot Sourdough bread looks so tasty, flavorful almost too beautiful to eat.!!!!
Aw, thanks! Gotta love bread!
I am on day 2 on my sourdough starter, it’s not smelling like beer or yeast yet, how will I know when it’s ready to use ?
Just give it a few more days. It should start smelling sour-like soon! Try to keep it in a warmer spot, maybe by a stove or hot vent if it is safe there.
I remember reading that a crock-pot costs about 20 cents to run all day, so it definitely saves you money that way too 🙂
Hi Beth. Yes, crock-pots are definitely more frugal to run than ovens. Thanks for sharing and visiting!
This looks awesome! I’ve been wanting to try bread making but have thus far been intimidated, plus so many bread recipes call for bread machines or kitchen aids or other things that I don’t have. But I do have a crockpot and I think this one might be manageable.
Hi Melissa, I would love to know how it goes for you. Thank you for visiting!
in the sourdough bread recipe #6 -put dutch oven ord some kind of corningware with lid in oven–Is the oven on? and the dutch oven empty? as the next step #7 says to turn on the oven to 500 degrees.
I haven’t tried yet, because I don’t understand this part …
Thanks Sherry
Hi Sherry, The Dutch oven is empty, and the oven is at 500 degrees. It gets nice and hot, for 30 minutes, and then you throw in the dough. Thank you for clarifying, and I will tweak that instruction to make it clearer.
If you make this in the crock-pot, you can use a greased pre-heated (for 15 minutes or so) crock-pot or just put the dough in cold. I’ve done both. Crock-pot cooking is just a bit different. You don’t get the hard crust in the crock-pot, but the bread still tastes fabulous.
Forgive me if this is a dumb question…. do I mix the dough and let it sit for 16 hours like the regular sourdough recipe before putting it in the crockpot? Or do you just mix it up and put it right in? Thanks!
You still have to let the dough sit out for 16 hours when you make the sourdough dough. If you are using a different recipe with commercial yeast in the crock-pot, then you don’t have to wait. Thanks for visiting, Katrina!
Thanks!
I’m sure this bread is delicious, although nutritionally lacking. I feel homemade bread is a great opportunity to add nutrients to our diets. You can add: grated carrots, grated zucchini, grated apple, wheat germ, wheat bran, oat bran ground flax seed, nuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, e.g. raisins, cranberries, mashed potatoes, dry milk powder, an egg You get the idea. Use combinations that appeal to you, such as grated apples and peanut butter. Thanks for the great ideas you provide – I’ve used many of them. You are doing a wonderful job!
Hi Doe, Thanks so much for your encouragement. I have often used wheat germ, wheat bran and oat bran. I’ve done garlic powder and Italian seasonings. The nuts sounds fabulous. I am making two loaves Wednesday, so I think I’ll add them in. Thanks for the suggestion, and for your encouragement!!
I think it turned out great looking! I can’t wait to try this because who doesn’t love a good sourdough panini?
Do you have a resource on a good sourdough starter recipe? And other recipes? I miss baking at home and need a good sourdough starter since it’s so much better for you, plus plenty of recipes! Thanks!
Hi Sarah, I just linked the sourdough start recipe in the post (it is included in the regular sourdough bread recipe), but here it is for ease: https://practical-stewardship.com/2012/04/18/sourdough-starter-and-basic-3-ingredient-sourdough-bread-recipe/ Thanks for visiting!!
I just got back into sourdough baking and this looks fascinating! I’m new to your site, so I will definitely be looking around.
I love this idea! I need to get my starter out of the fridge and feed it so it will be happy and bubbly to make this. 🙂
I LOVE this idea. I hate how hot the kitchen gets when we bake – even when it’s cold outside. It just reminds me how inefficient the oven is. 😉 I am a huge fan of sourdough, so I think I’ll have to give this a go.
Great looking bread! I have to give that a shot. Will be so cool to watch it develop.
What a great way to make bread while getting everything else done in and out of the house. Thanks for sharing it. Have a great week!
Just got out a mason jar and am starting the sour dough starter today! I haven’t had this since I was about 4 years old. Can’t wait!! Connie from Sadieloohoo
What a great idea! I have one of those little aluminum insert pans for a Crockpot, but I never knew I could just bake bread directly IN the Crockpot. Thank you for this!
What a great idea, never knew you could make bread in your crockpot? I use to make bread so much years ago, this might help me get back on track! Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!
Okay this is too cool, I am going to have to try and make this bread this fall! How perfect with some homemade potato soup! (visiting from my1929charmer)
This is wonderful. Sourdough bread (made well), is wonderful for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Thank you for sharing at Saturday Show and Tell. I hope you’ll be back this week to link up again! Have a great weekend! -Mackenzie http://www.cheeriosandlattes.com
Yum! Now I need to buy a Crock-Pot! I know, I know…how do I not have one yet?!
This is an excellent idea, thank you so much for sharing this recipe! 🙂
This looks delicious I have to try it. Stopping by from Simply Sensational link party
I am so doing this. I am totally in love with my crock pot right now. I actually need a new one. It’s just too hot to turn on that oven.
I’ve been baking my sourdough bread in the crock pot lately, too. I love it! It’s such a nice tender loaf, personally I prefer it to the one baked in the oven. Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day recommends popping the bread into a broiler oven for a couple minutes if you still want the golden oven-crusty look.
This is a wonderful idea! I’m wondering if it would work just as well with making gluten free bread. I have a wonderful recipe that comes out perfect each time I bake it, but would love to cut down on the use of the oven during summer time. I’m definitely going to have to give it a try ☺ On the note of sour dough bread…I used to make numerous loaves a week before my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac. I have been playing around with different gluten free flour blends and believe I finally got one that will work with sour dough. Once I get a stretch of time, I’ll give it a whirl and try it in the crock pot. Thanks for sharing!
Have you tried the GF sourdough bread? If so, are you willing to share your recipe? That is the one bread I do miss…
Did you try making GF bread in the crockpot? I am interested to know how it went.
What a brilliant idea! I never would have thought of this, but now I’ll be brave and try it after seeing all your beautiful successes! Visiting from Be Not Weary today and glad I did. 🙂
I found your recipe from I heart naptime’s link party. I have begun using my crockpot a lot more this year, but I have never tried to bake in it. This sounds like a great idea for me to try!
I have a question about the crockpot. Does the crock pot have to be hot or just plop the bread in the cold crock and then turn it on? The original recipe calls for the dutch oven to be hot and so I was wondering if this would also apply to the crockpot? Thank you I am going to try this. It sounds wonderful. I do love homemade bread but stay away from it in the summer because of the heat. The crockpot would make it a lot cooler and I could still have fresh bread!! Thank you!
I have actually done both. Since it bakes differently in the crock-pot, I wouldn’t worry about preheating the crock-pot, but you can.
This looks so good! I love sourdough bread. I am going to have to get brave and try making some of my own!
Just do it!!
This is amazing! I never would have thought to bake bread in a crock pot
I think I am going to start a white flour starter to try getting sourdough bread to work for me!
Hey Keri, I do have to say my best looking sourdough was 1/2 white, half whole wheat, but since going completely whole wheat, I am using the white whole wheat from Trader Joe’s!