Fresh Rustic Bread In the Crock Pot

You can make a loaf of fresh, warm, homemade bread in your crock pot. You read that right. You don’t need a bread machine. This whole time I never knew – and now, the game has changed. I have never made my own bread before so I was skeptical that this was going to work or even taste like it does when I buy it from the bakery. But it does! It tastes SO GOOD. I love bread and this exceeded my expectations in every single way. The best part about it is that it cooks quickly – only 2 hours in the crockpot and you only need a couple of ingredients. I mean, who would have thought that the same machine that slow cooks meats, stews and soups is capable of making a great loaf of bread?!

The dough is made the night before by mixing all the ingredients together. Then, you set it on the counter with some plastic wrap over the top. When you wake up the dough will have developed gluten and doubled in size and it will smell wonderful.

The only catch is that the slow cooker will not brown the bread. The crust will remain light in color. In order to get that darker, crispy crust on the outside, you have to pop it in the broiler for about 5-7 minutes once the bread has finished in the crockpot. When it comes out of the broiler, it will have a beautiful golden color and the crust will be perfectly crispy.

Bread Ingredients

3 1/2 cups of bread flour

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet/envelope)

1 1/2 cups warm water

Instructions for Bread in the Crockpot

1. 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.

After 8-18 Hours

1. Line the bowl of your slow cooker with parchment paper. I did this the first time I baked it, and the paper got stuck to the bottom of the bread. The second time, I did not use parchment paper. Instead, I just buttered the bottom and around the sides of my slow cooker. It came out perfectly and did not stick to the crockpot. My suggestion would be to skip the paper, but that is what the original recipe calls for.
2. On a lightly floured surface and with well-floured hands flatten and fold the dough over into itself a couple of times. Then shape the dough into a ball.
3. Place the dough in the prepared crockpot with a double layer of paper towel under the lid to prevent condensation from dripping onto the bread. Turn the crockpot on high for 2 hours. When it is cooked through, the temperature should read 190 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermometer.
4. Remove the bread from the crockpot (I used a wooden spoon to lift mine out) and serve.

To Get That Golden Crust

1. When it is fully cooked, it will have a light, soft crust. If you want a golden, crispy crust, place the bread under the broiler of your oven for 5-7 minutes (mine took about 7 minutes). After broiling, set the bread on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

I made my first loaf with the parchment paper and did not broil it. The second time I did not use parchment paper and I broiled it. Hands down I recommend broiling the bread if you like a crispy, golden crust.

There’s just something about warm bread with butter – it goes with everything. You can pair it with pasta or beef stew – and everything in-between. We devoured it almost immediately. To be able to make this in the crockpot is an absolute game changer for me. No more spending $4-5 on a fresh loaf from Wegman’s. Now I can make my own and I don’t even need a bread maker.

It makes the house smell amazing when it is cooking and there is something comforting about fresh bread. You can check out my Pinterest page for more recipes to pair with this delicious bread! If you make it, let me know in the comments how it turns out. Happy baking!