Crockpot Sandwich Bread Recipe (2024)

Published: Dec 10, 2013 · Updated: May 16, 2023 by Laura Fuentes · This post may contain affiliate links

This crockpot sandwich bread recipe is so easy to make and tastes so good you will never believe it came from a crockpot!

4.78 from 35 votes

Jump to Recipe

We all know that a good crockpot can save you some serious time in the kitchen, especially on really busy days. But did you know that you can also use your crockpot to make homemade sandwich bread?

MOMables has tons of amazing meal ideas that are just too good too pass up! Join us!

When I first heard of this concept, my mind was blown. To be quite honest, I was actually rather skeptical until I tried it myself. The results were absolutely amazing! The bread came out so soft, even the crust, which was probably the best part.

Why was this the best part? Well, I know I can’t be the only one that has to cut off the crust of sandwich bread just for my child to consume it. FINALLY a bread that I don’t have to remove the crusts from!

Does this all sound too good to be true? Well, let me show you just how easy this is to do. To get started, you will need 1 batch of bread dough (enough to make a one-pound loaf).

This quick and easyrecipe will revolutionize your sandwiches!This bread tastes so good, you will never believe it came from your crock-pot!

Crock-Pot Sandwich Bread

Laura Fuentes

4.78 from 35 votes

This crockpot sandwich bread recipe is so easy to make and tastes so good you will never believe it came from a crockpot!

Servings: 12 slices (1 loaf)

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons active-dry yeast
½ cup warm water
1 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 ¾ cups all-purpose or bread flour

Instructions

Pour the warm water (make sure the water is warm to the touch) into the bowl of a standing mixer or large mixing bowl; sprinkle the yeast over the top. Add sugar and mix. Let this mixture stand for approximately 5 minutes, or until the yeast has dissolved and begun to bloom and foam.
Add the milk, salt, melted butter and 1 cup of flour to the yeast mixture. Stir until combined.
Add the remaining flour to the bowl and mix for a few minutes.
Using the dough hook attachment on a standing mixer, knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Or knead the dough by hand on a flat surface that has been sprinkled with flour. If the dough is sticky, add extra flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it is no longer sticky. The dough has been thoroughly kneaded when it is smooth, feels slightly tacky, forms a ball without sagging, and springs back when poked. There is no need to let the bread rise. It will rise and bake all at once, during the slow cooking process.
Shape dough ball into a loaf and place in an aluminum loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place it inside the slow cooker and cover with the lid.
Set your slow cooker to HIGH and bake for approximately 2 hours. Baking times will vary. I check my loaf around the 1 ½ hour mark, then 30 minutes later, then every 15 minutes until it is done. A finished loaf will have an internal temperature of approximately 190°F to 200°F.
If you wanted a crustier loaf, you can put the loaf under the broiler for a few minutes to brown up the top.
Once cooled, remove it from the aluminum loaf pan onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing.

Notes

You can double the recipe and freeze the bread loaf after cooking.

Equipment

The Best Homemade Kid’s Snacks on the Planet

Crockpot

Bread Loaf Pan

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 199mgPotassium: 52mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 51IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Becca
May 29, 2021 at 11:11 am

Love this. Bought a house with no appliances yet. Staying in the 5th wheel while remodeling house. Running a/c AND oven half the day is counterproductive lol. Anyhow, learning to cook even lasagna and bread in the crock pot. I make this in bread pans in the crock and change it up for fun. Made cinnamon raisin swirl, brown sugar pecan for baked french toast (yes in the crock lol). My son got the idea and we worked out sticky buns with this recipe! Make as directed, gently roll or pat into a rectangle, spread with some melted butter, generously cover in brown sugar and cinnamon, drizzle with a lil more butter, roll, slice, place on parchment in crock that has been greased, melt butter and brown sugar and pour over top. Cover crock and check periodically after 20 minutes until preferred doneness. Anyhow, WE LOVE CROCK POT BREADS! Thanx for this recipe!
Reply
Mary Ellen
January 31, 2018 at 10:13 am

I have found that to make lighter, softer 100% whole wheat bread, I need to increase the yeast a bit, because the dough is heavier, and needs the extra “push”. Also, the loaf will be dry if you trade out the white flour for the same amount of 100% whole wheat flour. There’s bran in whole wheat, which absorbs moisture. I found that to have a moist loaf of 100% whole wheat, I must add only enough flour to make a loaf that is kneadable. It must remain slightly sticky. These two techniques have never failed me, to make a superior loaf of wholesome bread.
Reply
Pia
April 25, 2017 at 4:24 pm

I tried it and it came out quite well. Next time I’ll broil it a bit to give it a nice color on the top.
Reply
Troy
April 09, 2017 at 10:56 am

Tried it. It failed bad. Turned brown inside and out. Didnt rise. Crunchy outside but too dense inside. Large oval crocpot. 2hrs plus. Smells like cookies not bread.
I used self raise flour by accident with yeast. Oops. Any idea if that is why ? but it cooked good . Olive oil bottom didnt stick to pan.
Reply
- MOMables
  April 11, 2017 at 11:09 am
  Yes, self-rising flour contains baking powder which causes the yeast to fail.
  See Also
  50 Easy and Tasty Smoothie Recipes that Fill You Up Stage 1 Homemade Baby Food Recipes for Baby 4 to 6 Months and older.Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe 5 Baby Cereal Recipes for Baby-Led Weaning | Sarah Remmer
  Reply
  - Sarah tulley
    March 18, 2020 at 3:33 pm
    
    So can I use self raising and no yeast? I can’t get any all purpose flour
    Reply
    - MOMables - Laura
      March 20, 2020 at 11:16 am
      You can use self-raising flour but you need yeast. Self-raising flour contains baking powder. It will not rise. You will have a hockey puck.
      Reply
Lorraine Carter
February 01, 2017 at 9:40 am

from UK. i only have a small slow cooker. I used this recipe, and followed someone’s suggestion of removing the pot insert. I had no loaf tin so I used a small round cake tin and as no insert I used an oblong lid off an old tin caddy to stand the tin on. Result-a beautiful soft perfect loaf, it even formed a nice crust on top and light brown side and bottom. Wow- amazing result!. Going to try to adapt for gluten free for other half. Quick to prepare, and not much attention needed whilst cooking.
Reply
- MOMables
  February 02, 2017 at 4:48 pm
  wow. what a terrific hack Lorraine! I’m so glad the loaf turned out amazing. Enjoy!
  Reply
Tina Wilson
March 12, 2016 at 5:05 pm

WOW. Love it.
It did stick in the crockpot but still was great. I am gonna get a pot big enough to hold the loaf pan and in the end my goal is to have loaf bread and not buy it in the stores anymore.
Thanks
Tina
Reply
- MOMables
  March 15, 2016 at 12:09 am
  It’s so much better when you make it at home!
  Reply
Tina Wilson
March 12, 2016 at 3:08 pm

I don’t have a loaf pan to fit into my crockpot but I’m gonna give it a try.
If it turns out half as good as it sounds I will buy a bigger crockpot .
Yummy
Reply
- MOMables
  March 15, 2016 at 12:10 am
  Definitely worth it! Plus, you can make huge soups, chilis, and even roast a whole chicken in a Crockpot!
  Reply
Dominique
December 30, 2015 at 2:51 pm

Oh,my goodness this bread is so delicious!!!!! I have always been skeptical of making bread in the crockpot . But wow soo good. I brushed it with butter , rosemary, and pepper. It tastes like foccacia. Great recipe!!
Reply
Debbie kring
October 28, 2015 at 10:46 pm

Can you use any good bread recipes and just the crackpot to cook the bread?
Reply
- MOMables
  October 31, 2015 at 2:45 pm
  You can cook this bread recipe in a 350F oven, for 25-30 minutes until the bread’s internal temperature reaches 200F.
  Reply
Lindi
September 27, 2015 at 4:33 pm

This is the only bread I have been making for months. It is fantastic!!! L
Reply
Kris
September 04, 2015 at 6:44 pm

I was curious and tried this today. I love baking bread but avoid it in the hot summer months. I used white whole wheat flour for half of my flour amount–I don’t have vital gluten on hand but it turned out fine. A bit more dense than it would have if I had made a traditional oven loaf, but no one here was complaining. :) This is a nice bread-baking option for when you want to avoid heating up your kitchen or if you want bread but don’t have time to mess with two risings and shaping your loaf. It would be helpful to put the loaf pan size in the recipe.
Reply
Gaby
August 11, 2015 at 8:50 pm

Hi there! I just wanted to say, I’ve done this recipe at least a dozen times and every time it’s come out WONDERFULLY! I even went back home and showed my mom that I could bake a fresh loaf of bread in the crock pot, and I think it was the first time she was ever impressed with my cooking skills! I love adding fresh rosemary from the garden, chopped up finely, to the loaf.
I’ve done it with whole wheat flour and all purpose and each time it comes out great.
Thanks for sharing your recipe with us!
Reply
- MOMables
  August 12, 2015 at 10:50 am
  I’m so glad you were able to impress your mom! That’s a kitchen success!
  Reply
Janet
May 31, 2015 at 11:58 pm

For the second loaf, if you freeze it – do you thaw in the fridge overnight? Should it be room temp before putting into the crock pot? And if it’s just refrigerated, should you leave the dough out until it reaches room temp before putting into the crock pot?
Reply
- MOMables
  June 01, 2015 at 4:02 pm
  Janet, you have two options: at the refrigeration point, the bread will do a slow rise while the first loaf cooks. After the first loaf cooks, then you insert the risen loaf into the crockpot. Bread is frozen after it’s been cooked, cooled, and sliced. The other option is to freeze the first half of the dough. You allow it to defrost overnight in the fridge and then bake in crockpot as directed.
  Reply
jaymie
May 13, 2015 at 7:14 pm

can you use powder milk a sub for milk out of jug and how much coconut oil do you add
Reply
See Also
Nutritious and Tasty Teething Biscuit Recipes for Your Teething Baby
- MOMables
  May 18, 2015 at 12:11 pm
  you can use milk powder plus water to create liquid milk. Then use it 1:1.
  Reply
Nicole
May 12, 2015 at 6:13 pm

Thank you so much. I just made this bread and it turned out great. I love making bread but stop during the hot Summer months. Now I can continue to have fresh homemade bread with out heating the whole house. I did sub honey instead of sugar. I can’t wait to try a whole wheat version.
Reply
- Warren
  August 28, 2022 at 2:29 pm
  
  How much honey did you use for the sugar substitute?
  Reply
  - MOMables - Laura
    August 29, 2022 at 12:41 pm
    you can use 2 Tablespoons honey instead of sugar.
    Reply
donna
February 25, 2015 at 9:31 am

do you think this would work with Rhodes frozen bread loaves, thawed?
Reply
- MOMables
  February 25, 2015 at 1:25 pm
  I do not know if this will work for that. This is a recipe for homemade bread. Sorry!
  Reply
Crystal
February 24, 2015 at 2:18 pm
So excited to try this but I’m having trouble finding a bread pan small enough to fit in my crock pot. Any chance you have an alternative for cooking in the oven?
Reply
maureen
February 08, 2015 at 1:52 pm
I made this 2 days ago came out excellent. It is a great sandwich bread and better tosasted. I toasted 2 slices in butter and garlic in a pan , for my cheese burger and it was to die for. Making 2 more loaves today to freeze.
Reply
- MOMables
  February 08, 2015 at 3:19 pm
  I can only imagine how delicious this bread is toasted with butter and garlic! wow. Enjoy!
  Reply
Karen
September 26, 2014 at 3:32 pm

Mine did not turn out at all. Did not rise at all and is just a lump of concrete. Oh well it was worth a try.
Reply
- MOMables
  September 27, 2014 at 9:23 am
  I’m sorry yours did not come out! Did you make any substitutions?
  Reply
Angela
April 09, 2014 at 10:37 pm
I used a loaf pan but mine didn’t rise very much. Doesn’t look like the picture. Could I have done something wrong with me yeast?
Reply
Ashley
March 18, 2014 at 10:40 am
Can you explain the vital gluten? I am wanting to make my bread at home but its usually just not that great:/
Reply
- MOMables
  March 19, 2014 at 12:46 pm
  Ashley, this recipe needs a little more gluten (a protein in bread) to “lift” in such a low heat in the crockpot. It’s inexpensive and you’ll find it right next to the yeast at the grocery. This is a beginners bread recipe. You can do it! :)
  Reply
KELLY
March 03, 2014 at 7:21 pm
What size loaf pan do you use?
Reply
- MOMables
  March 04, 2014 at 10:59 am
  8.5 inches by 4.5 inches
  Reply
Amber
February 13, 2014 at 1:50 pm

I made this recipe last night and then continued my second loaf this morning. It’s nice for a easy bread. Mine came out a little dense but this is my very first time making bread with yeast. I expect to get better as I go.
This recipe is misleading though. My concern before I started was that the bread would not look like the pictures coming out of a slow cooker, and of course mine did not. It looked like a big round loaf of bread (slow cooker shape). It’s not really ideal for sandwich bread, unless you are making paninis.
Reply
- MOMables
  February 14, 2014 at 10:15 pm
  Amber, did you use a loaf pan liner inside your crockpot? If you did, it should not have taken up the shape of the crockpot and turned out exactly like a loaf of bread. I can imagine it spreading and coming out slightly denser.
  Reply
  - Amber
    February 16, 2014 at 11:47 am
    
    I did not use a liner. I will try that next time. Thank you!
    Reply
12349
January 30, 2014 at 11:54 am

Do you think that I could use coconut oil instead of butter and soy milk instead of dairy to make vegan bread? I’m dairy free.
Reply
- MOMables
  January 30, 2014 at 3:06 pm
  I’ve never tried it, but it should work (in theory).
  Reply
Grace
January 13, 2014 at 3:44 pm

How long can you leave the dough for the second loaf in the fridge?
Reply
- MOMables
  January 16, 2014 at 10:06 pm
  
  You can leave the second dough ball overnight or freeze up to 3 months.
  Reply
Sarah
December 29, 2013 at 11:15 pm

Interesting idea. Do you add water to the crock pot or just the loaf pan in the dry crock?
Reply
- MOMables
  December 29, 2013 at 11:26 pm
  just the loaf pan as the directions say.
  Reply
Jennifer E.
December 17, 2013 at 7:55 pm

By the way, this bread looks absolutely heavenly. I can smell the warm soft steamy goodness.
Reply
Jennifer E.
December 17, 2013 at 7:52 pm

I wonder if gluten free flour mix could be substituted for the APF… Has anyone tried this?
Reply
- MOMables
  December 18, 2013 at 1:26 pm
  I have not tried it -YET. My go to flour is Cup4Cup and it’s what I plan on using to test this recipe.
  Reply
Jen V
December 10, 2013 at 1:48 pm

Have you ever tried this recipe with whole wheat flour? It would probably need some wheat gluten added to the recipe to help it rise. Might have to try that this afternoon. Thanks for sharing!
Reply
- MOMables
  December 10, 2013 at 3:04 pm
  Jen, I just revised the recipe’s notes.
  Reply
- nicole
  December 11, 2013 at 5:09 pm
  
  Jen V, Can you let me know if you are successful making this with all whole wheat or white whole wheat flour and how much vital gluten you had to add please? Thanks
  Reply
  - MOMables
    December 12, 2013 at 11:04 pm
    Nicole, you’ll need 1 teaspoon vital gluten per 1 cup whole wheat flour.
    Reply
Kristin
December 10, 2013 at 11:28 am

Do you think substitutions could be made to make it vegan? Like coconut oil instead of butter and almond milk instead of milk?
Reply
- MOMables
  December 10, 2013 at 3:05 pm
  I have not tested this with non dairy milk. Coconut oil will work.
  Reply
Jessica Sollitto
December 10, 2013 at 11:19 am

Do you think I could use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour instead of all purpose?
Reply
- MOMables
  December 10, 2013 at 3:05 pm
  Jessica, check out the revised recipe notes.
  Reply

FAQs

Can a slow cooker be used to proof bread? ›

3) Proof Bread with a Slow Cooker

Fill your slow cooker halfway with water and set to the low setting (which will heat the water to about 200ºF). Put the lid on upside down, lay a dishtowel on top, then set your bowl of dough on top. The radiant heat from the hot water will help the bread rise.

What can I use to make a sandwich instead of bread? ›

Here are some bread substitutes to try

Corn, reduced-carb or whole-grain tortillas.
Cheese wraps or cheese slices.
Coconut wraps.
Cauliflower bread.
Cucumber slices.
Sweet potato slices.
Bell pepper slices.
Portobello mushrooms.

More items...

Jun 29, 2022

What can I use if I don't have a loaf tin? ›

Use alternative tins

You could arrange the roll shapes you make in a round sandwich cake tin, lined and greased, making sure they're snugly all together. Prove and then bake in the tin to make a great tear and share loaf.

Find Out More ›

What if I add too much yeast to my bread? ›

Too much yeast could cause the dough to go flat by releasing gas before the flour is ready to expand. If you let the dough rise too long, it will start having a yeast or beer smell and taste and ultimately deflate or rise poorly in the oven and have a light crust.

Do I knead bread after it rises? ›

In broad strokes, if a recipe calls for you to stir or knead the dough then let it rise undisturbed, go ahead and stir or knead but only to the point where ingredients are hom*ogeneous and you have a “shaggy mass.” At that point you can step away, returning to fold three to four times in the first hour of fermentation.

Know More ›

Does letting bread rise longer make it fluffier? ›

Does Rising Bread Affect Its Texture? For a fluffy bread texture, the key is to let the bread rise long enough.

Tell Me More ›

How do you proof bread quickly? ›

A Bowl of Steaming Water is the Key to Quickly Proofing Bread. In the winter, when your house and kitchen are at a crisp temperature and you need a warm spot for your dough to rise, create a makeshift “proof box” by placing a bowl of steaming water inside your oven alongside your bowl of dough.

Find Out More ›

How do you slow proof bread? ›

Slow final proof of finished loaves.

Retarding for a slow final proof the dough can be divided and pre-shaped a 1/2 hour after mixing. Allow dough to rest another 1/2 hour or so and shape again. Set dough in cooler at 48 to 50F. Anytime between 12-15 hours the dough can be removed and baked.

See Details ›

What can I use instead of bread proofer? ›

You can use any instead of a proofing basket as long as you line them with fabric such as a tea towel:

Heavy Linen or Cloth that holds the dough shape.
A colander.
A wicker basket.
A New terra cotta garden pot.
A glass or stainless-steel bowl.

Oct 1, 2020

Discover More Details ›

What can I use to proof bread? ›

You can proof bread dough with nothing more than a lightly greased deep mixing bowl (large enough for dough to double in size), a bowl cover and a moist, warm environment. Cover the bowl with a lid, cloth or plastic wrap spritzed with oil, then allow the dough to rise in a warm and draft-free environment.

Read The Full Story ›