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Slow cooker sourdough bread on a countertop.

Slow Cooker Sourdough Bread

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Fermenting Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 12
Author: Amy
US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

Ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g)  of Active Sourdough Starter

  • 1 tablespoon (15 g) sourdough starter
  • ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 ½  tablespoons (50 g) water

Dough Ingredients

  • ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter
  • 1 ⅓ cups + 2 tablespoons (350 g) water
  • ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) whole wheat flour
  • 3 ¾ cups (450 g) bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons (10 g) fine sea salt

Instructions

Feed Your Sourdough Starter

  • 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, add the ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of active sourdough starter to a clean jar. Stir until combined, loosely cover the jar and let the starter rise at room temperature. (The ingredients will create a total of 115 g active starter but, because some of it will stick to the sides of the jar during the transfer, we are making a little more than needed.) The sourdough starter is ready to use when it has doubled in size and there are plenty of bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar.

Make the Dough

  • Mix Dough Ingredients: Add the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to combine the ingredients until there are no dry bits and the dough looks like a shaggy mass. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest on the counter for 1 hour.
  • Stretch and fold: Perform 3 sets of stretches and folds, 30 minutes apart. To perform a set, while the dough is still in the bowl, pick up one side with a wet hand. Pull it up and over itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this action on 4 sides of the dough until the bowl has come full circle. Cover the dough and allow to ferment at room temperature according to the following temperatures.
    68 - 70°F (20 - 21°C) 2 - 2 ½ hours
    72 - 75°F (22 - 24°C) 1- 1 ½ hours
    The dough is ready for shaping when it has risen about 20-30% and has bubbles around the edges of the bowl.
    A person performing an set of stretches and folds.
  • Shaping: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use a bench scraper to form it into a loose ball. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
    Lightly flour the surface of the dough ball and use a bench scraper to turn it over. Final shape the dough by pulling the side nearest yourself up and towards the center of the dough. Repeat on all fours sides of the dough.
    Flip the dough over, seam-side down, and use your hands to twist the dough on the counter. Cup the dough with your hands and gently pull it towards yourself to create a tight skin on the outside.
    Flour the outside of the dough ball. Flour the inside of a banneton and place the dough ball into the banneton, seam-side up. Cover the bowl with a large plastic bag and let rest on the counter for 1 - ½ hours.
    A person covering a banneton with plastic.
  • Slow Cook: Lightly spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray. Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and place it into the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker onto the HIGH setting and allow to slow cook for 1 hour.
    Dough placed in slow cooker liner.
  • Remove the lid, place a clean kitchen towel over the the top of the slow cooker and place the lid back on. Cook for 1 additional hour on HIGH.
    A towel placed under the lid of the slow cooker.
  • Cool: Check the internal temperature of the bread using a digital food thermometer. It is done when it registers at least 200°F (93°C). Remove the bread from the slow cooker and cool on a cooling rack for 2 hours before cutting. (If you would like a darker crust, place the bread under the oven broiler until it reaches desired color.)
    A finished loaf of sourdough bread in a slow cooker.
Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Sourdough Bread
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 157 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 325mg14%
Potassium 53mg2%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 5g10%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Video

Notes

  • This recipe can be made with all bread flour. To adjust, use 4 cups + 2 tablespoons (500 g) of bread flour and 1  ⅓ cups + 1 teaspoon (325 g) of water. (Take note the the bread will be a very light color.)
  • Use the scoop and level technique to measure your flour if you do not have a kitchen scale. To do this, use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until it is heaped on top. Take a butterknife and level off the top. This should give you the most accurate measurement for flour.
  • Take care to be gentle with the dough during the stretch and fold process. Only stretch the dough until it starts to tighten and no more. These 3 sets should take 1.5 hours to complete.
  • Store your bread at room temperature, wrapped in a kitchen towel or beeswax wrap. You can also store the bread, slice down, on a cutting board with a cake stand top covering the bread. It is not recommended to store sourdough bread in the fridge as it will become hard.
  • Freeze full loaves or individual slices wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and inserted into a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.