Ultra-Lazy Slow Cooker Sourdough

Craving homemade sourdough without the hassle? This ultra-lazy slow cooker sourdough needs just minutes of hands-on time. No folding, no shaping, no stress—just mix, set, and bake for a beautifully soft, flavorful loaf. Perfect for busy days when you still want real, fresh bread.

I'm so glad you're here! I'm on a mission to document my AI prompting journey in the kitchen. I want to keep this site free of obnoxious ads. If you like my content, please consider supporting me.

---

Jump to recipe

---

Jump to prompt

---

Recipe

Number of servings: 10 slices

Calories per serving: 180 kcal

Total time: 14 hours (mostly unattended)

Ultra-Lazy Slow Cooker Sourdough

Ingredients:

• 500g bread flour

• 350g water

• 100g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)

• 10g fine sea salt

Instructions:

1. Mix and Knead

   1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, sourdough starter, and salt. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand or with a mixer dough hook for about 5 minutes until the dough is soft and slightly tacky.

2. First and Final Rise in Slow Cooker

   1. Line your slow cooker insert with parchment paper. Place the dough directly inside.

   2. Cover with the lid (leave the cooker turned off) and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 8–12 hours, or until doubled and puffy.

3. Optional Scoring

   1. Once risen, lightly dust the dough with flour. If desired, use a sharp blade to score a simple cross or line pattern across the top.

4. Bake

   1. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and cook for 2 to 2.5 hours. The bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F (95°C).

5. Optional Oven Finish

   1. For a crustier top, transfer the bread to a preheated 425°F (220°C) oven and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes.

Nutritional Value (per serving)

• Calories: 180 kcal

• Carbohydrates: 36g

• Protein: 6g

• Fat: 0.5g

• Fiber: 1.5g

• Sodium: 230mg

Storage Instructions

• Room Temperature: Store in an airtight bag or container for up to 2 days.

• Freezing: Slice and freeze for up to 2 months. Toast straight from frozen.

• Tip: Avoid refrigerating the bread—it can dry it out quickly.

Mix the dough

Mix the dough

First and final rise:

First and final rise:

Bake

Bake

Bake

(Optional) Crisp the crust

Yummy

---

Prompt

I really wanted to try a no fuss sourdough bread. I had a thought and was wondering if it's possible. So I asked ChatGPT:

I'm curious. Can you help me develop a no stretch fold throw and forget slow cooker sourdough bread?

It said yes:

Yes, I can absolutely help you create a "no stretch, no fold, throw-and-forget" slow cooker sourdough bread—super hands-off, but still delicious. Here's a basic framework, and we can refine it based on your preferences:

Lazy Sourdough Bread in the Slow Cooker

No knead. No stretch and fold. No babysitting.

Ingredients:

• 500g bread flour (or all-purpose if needed)

• 350g water (adjust if your flour is very absorbent)

• 100g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)

• 10g salt

• Optional: herbs, seeds, or cheese mixed in

Method:

1. Mix & Forget (Night Before):

   • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

   • Stir until no dry bits remain—just enough to incorporate. It will look rough and shaggy.

   • Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.

   • Let sit at room temp (ideally 20–23°C / 68–74°F) for 12–16 hours.

2. Shape (a little):

   • Lightly flour your hands and shape the dough into a round by tucking it under itself a few times—just enough to form a ball. No fancy shaping required.

   • Place it on a piece of parchment paper.

3. Second Rise (Optional but helpful):

   • Let it rest for 1 hour if you want a bit more rise and air. Totally optional if you're really in “throw and forget” mode.

4. Cook in Slow Cooker:

   • Transfer the parchment + dough into your cold slow cooker.

   • Put the lid on.

   • Turn to high and cook for 2–2.5 hours, until the internal temp is ~95°C (200–205°F).

5. Optional Oven Finish:

   • For a crustier loaf, pop it in a hot oven (220°C / 425°F) for 10–15 minutes after slow cooking to crisp up.

Serving Ideas:

• Slather with salted butter and a drizzle of honey.

• Use for grilled cheese or breakfast sandwiches.

• Makes amazing croutons or toast.

Would you like to make it whole wheat, add-ins like rosemary or seeds, or keep it ultra-plain and kid-friendly?

This wasn't lazy enough. I wanted more:

I want it even simpler. Like put in the slow cooker after kneading and just turn on when needed

It helped and created a new recipe:

Got it—you want true minimal effort: mix, dump, walk away, and just hit the switch later. Here's a super pared-down version for that exact approach:

Ultra-Lazy Slow Cooker Sourdough

No stretch. No folds. No shaping. No second rise.

Ingredients:

• 500g bread flour

• 350g water

• 100g active sourdough starter

• 10g salt

Method:

1. Mix & Knead:

   • In a bowl, combine all ingredients.

   • Mix until shaggy, then knead by hand (or with a stand mixer dough hook) for about 5 minutes—just enough to bring it together smoothly.

   • The dough should be soft and slightly tacky.

2. First & Final Rise in Slow Cooker:

   • Line your slow cooker with parchment paper.

   • Plop the dough in—no shaping.

   • Cover (leave slow cooker off) and let it rise in the slow cooker insert at room temperature for 8–12 hours, or until roughly doubled and puffy.

3. Bake:

   • When ready, turn slow cooker to HIGH.

   • Let bake for 2 to 2.5 hours, lid on. Internal temp should hit around 95°C (200–205°F).

   • If you want crust, toss it into a preheated 220°C (425°F) oven for 10–15 mins at the end.

Notes:

• Dough can sit in the slow cooker insert overnight, making it truly “set and forget.”

• No need to move it, shape it, or watch it.

• You can even set a timer switch for the slow cooker if you want it baked by morning.

Want me to tweak this for whole wheat, spelt, or enriched versions like milk & honey sourdough?

I was curious about scoring:

Is there any room for scoring?

It said yes:

Good question. In a slow cooker, scoring isn't necessary—and often doesn't do much—because the humid, low-crust environment doesn’t support dramatic oven spring or ear development like a Dutch oven would.

However, you can score, if:

• You do it right before turning on the slow cooker (i.e., after the dough has risen).

• You’re doing it for aesthetics, not for function.

• You use a very sharp blade or lame—slow-cooker dough can be soft and sticky.

Tips if you want to score anyway:

• Dust the top lightly with flour first to make the pattern stand out.

• A simple cross or a single long slash will show up more than intricate designs.

• Shallow cuts are best—deep ones won't open up nicely without high oven heat.

Want to try a minimal scoring pattern that still looks nice and rustic?

More about scoring:

Can I score before oven?

It said no:

If you mean score after slow cooker baking but before putting into the oven for crisping, the answer is:No, not really.

Once the bread is cooked (even partially) in the slow cooker, the surface is already set. The dough won’t expand anymore, and scoring at that point won’t do anything useful—it’ll just scratch the crust.

Scoring needs to happen before baking begins, while the dough is still raw and full of potential to expand.

If you want both slow cooker ease + a pretty scored top, the best timing would be:

• After the dough has risen inside the slow cooker insert (before you turn it on),

• Lightly dust, score quickly, then start cooking.

Otherwise, once it's baked, you're better off just crisping the outside without touching it.

Would you want me to show you a really simple scoring style that would look good even with slow cooker baking? (Nothing fancy—like a rustic "X" or a crescent cut.)

Then some random thoughts:

This bread coming out of slow cooker reminds me of kubana, the Yemeni bread

It said yes:

Exactly! You're spot on—kubana (or kubaneh) is also a slow-cooked bread, usually steamed and baked low and slow overnight, just like what happens in a slow cooker.

Both have:

• Soft, tender crumb

• Pale crust unless finished in a hot oven

• Rich flavor from long fermentation or slow cooking

Kubana is often enriched with butter (or schmaltz) and sometimes layered like a pull-apart bread, while the sourdough version you’re working on is simpler and more rustic. But the vibe—low effort, slow magic—is very similar.

If you like, we could even adapt this no-work sourdough into a kubana-style version: add a little butter in the dough, maybe even layer little rolls if you ever want to get fancy later. Would you want a buttered version too for fun? (Still lazy—promise.)

Scroll to the top or click below for the final recipe.

---

Jump to recipe

---