No knead Olive Bread Recipe - easy to make and filled with salty kalamata olives and garlic. This delicious rustic loaf made in the slow cooker is simple and delicious!
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👩🏻🍳 About This Recipe
I admit it - I don't have the patience to bake my own bread. All the kneading, and the rising, and the fuss...I just don't have that kind of time or energy.
But what's better than fresh-baked bread on your dinner table? Nothing! EXCEPT maybe fresh-baked bread that was super-easy to make and required NO KNEADING at all!
So when someone told me that it was possible to bake bread without any kneading, and using a slow cooker, I was absolutely interested!
The basic technique for slow cooker bread is to combine the flour with quick-rising yeast and water, let it rest, form it into a round and let it rest again, then place it in the slow cooker on high.
Believe it or not, you can make really good bread that way! And you can add all sorts of mix-ins for interesting combinations. For this loaf, I chose Kalamata olives and Parmesan cheese. So yummy!
I love the texture of bread that this technique yields. It is a little denser than bread made in a more traditional way, but it is not heavy or overly chewy and it is way better than store-bought!
Another delicious but simple bread is this Easy Homemade Rosemary Bread. It's a yeast bread infused with fresh rosemary and is free-formed, so no bread pans are needed.
🥘 Ingredients Needed
For a complete list of ingredients for this olive bread recipe, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- bread flour - bread flour will give you the best texture but you can use all-purpose flour in a pinch.
- instant or quick rise yeast - great for getting quick results!
- garlic - a little bit of zing.
- Kalamata olives - adds great texture and flavor.
- Parmesan cheese - keeps the bread from drying out and adds a nutty flavor.
- cornmeal (optional) - use to keep your dough from sticking to the parchment paper.
🔪 Instructions
Please note: This is an overview of the instructions. You'll find the complete instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Combine the flour and yeast in a large bowl. Add the garlic, chopped olives, and Parmesan cheese and combine.
- Add the water and combine with the flour mixture. Cover the bowl and allow to sit for 1 and ½ hours.
- On a large piece of parchment paper, sprinkle flour or cornmeal to prevent sticking.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place on the parchment, mold into a round and cover again. Allow to rest for ½ hour.
- Heat the slow cooker to high. Carefully then pick up the parchment paper and transfer the loaf to the slow cooker. Place paper towels on top of the slow cooker, and the lid over the towels.
- Cook on high for 2 hours. Cool on a rack before slicing.
If you enjoy making your own bread, try this delicious recipe for homemade manakish dough. Manakish is a delicious Middle Eastern flatbread believed to have originated in Lebanon.
👪 FAQs
Keep it wrapped in a paper bag but cover the cut end with plastic wrap. Don't refrigerate slow cooker bread, it will actually dry out the bread more. Store it in a bread box or on the countertop.
Yes, this freezes well. Be sure to allow it to cool and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze up to three weeks.
It does! If you make or buy fresh bread often, a breadbox will help it keep longer.
💭 Top Tips
Another advantage to making slow cooker bread is that it leaves your oven free for other things, which is perfect for holiday meals or get togethers when you have lots of other things that need time in the oven.
If you have leftover bread and want to enjoy it a day or two later, check out these tips for reviving day old bread to restore it back to it's just-baked goodness!
💡 Serving Suggestions
Isn't this bread in the slow cooker easy to make? I think so too! If you're wondering what to serve with it - here are my favorites!
- This healthier twist on spaghetti has some hidden vegetables that make it better for you and taste better too!
- Eggplant Parmesan - made in the air fryer it eliminates a lot of the fat from frying. The slow cooker bread goes great with this meal!
- If you love Tex-Mex, then a Doritos Casserole is another great choice to serve with this olive bread recipe! With layers of chips, cheese, beans and salsa, it's a favorite even the kids gobble up!
- This elegant sablefish recipe is simple, delicious, and will impress your whole family!
🍞 More Bread Recipes
Looking for a yummy, easy to make bite? These pretzel bites with olive and Parmesan are seriously good. The hardest part of this recipe? Not eating them all yourself! YUMMY!
Loving this recipe? Then be sure and try this one for Slow Cooker Bread - it has Parmesan cheese and garlic - it's just so good!
This recipe for homemade artisan bread has step by step instructions if you're a beginner and looking to expand upon your bread making abilities!
If you are a fan of no knead bread, you'll want to try this naan bread recipe. So easy to make delicious, pillowy naan right at home!
Slow Cooker Bread
Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star ⭐ rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
📋 Recipe Card
Easy Slow Cooker Olive Parmesan Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast quick rise
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ⅔ cup Kalamata olives diced
- 1 cup water
- cornmeal or additional flour to prevent sticking
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, instant yeast and Parmesan cheese.3 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon instant yeast, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Sprinkle in the garlic and olives while mixing to prevent clumping.1 tablespoon garlic, ⅔ cup Kalamata olives
- Add water and stir until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated (dough will be very sticky).1 cup water
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 1 and ½ hours.
- On a large piece of parchment paper, sprinkle flour or cornmeal to prevent sticking. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on the parchment paper, then mold into a round and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for ½ hour.cornmeal
- Remove the plastic wrap from the dough. Heat the slow cooker to high, then pick up the parchment paper and use it to transfer to the slow cooker. Lower the parchment paper into the slow cooker and tuck or cut to fit under the lid.
- Place paper towels on top of the slow cooker, then place the lid over the towels.
- Cook on high for 2 hours, then remove.
- If more of a brown crust is desired, bake at 400 degrees in the oven for 15-20 minutes (optional).
- Cool on a rack before serving.
Notes
- A great advantage to this bread is that it leaves your oven open, which means you can prepare multiple dishes at the same time.
- Store this bread in a paper bad but cover the cut end with plastic wrap. Don't keep the bread in the fridge to prevent drying out. Or, if you want to keep the bread for a longer period of time, it can be stored in the freezer.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in June 2013, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in September 2023.
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Happy cooking!
Kristin King says
I just use dry paper towels! 🙂
P Hoskins says
Hi,
My wife and I avoid using plastic wrap in our kitchen (or minimise it as much as possible. Would using parchment/baking paper all round be suitable for this recipe?
Trying to be as sustainable as possible.
Thanks
Kristin King says
I think if you cover it with something that minimizes the airflow, that might be best. I don't know a lot about yeast but I am thinking that parchment paper would not be a good enough seal. You might want to try covering with a plate or bowl, which I think would have a similar effect as the plastic wrap. Hope that helps! Let me know if it turns out! 🙂
Mai says
Hi Kristin, I just bought an instant pot pressure cooker 8 qtr and so I wanna know if I could incorporate this recipes into the pressure cooker. I have never baked bread before in my life believe it or not. please make any suggestions you think is necessary. Thank you so much!
Kristin King says
Hi Mai, I am sorry but I have not used an instant pot, so I don't have any advice I can give. I actually just got an instant pot not that long ago and I need to learn how to use it. If I ever adapt this recipe for the instant pot, I will definitely post it! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
GINA STEVENS says
I would love it if you would post a picture of the bread dough and parchment paper in the crock pot. Also, a picture of the paper towels on the crock pot. I want to make sure that I'm preparing it correctly. Thank you!
Kristin King says
Hi Gina, I don't happen to have photos like that handy, but the next time I make this I will try to take photos and post them. However don't be afraid to try it in the meantime. When you transfer the parchment paper and dough to the slow cooker, the parchment paper will go up the sides of the crock. Sometimes if I had cut my sheet of parchment a little too large, it goes up higher than the rim of the crock, so I use scissors to cut it down a little to make it lower than the rim. For the paper towels, I usually use two paper towels side-by-side and overlapping a bit, since one is not wide enough to cover the whole crock. They should extend a bit over the sides and the ends. Then I just nestle the lid on top of the paper towels with their ends sticking out all around the crock. I hope that description helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Jen says
This looks delicious! Could I be added to your Cocktails Concoctions board on Pinterest? You can check me out at http://pinterest.com/mixthatdrink Thanks!
Kristin King says
Invited! 🙂
Cristina at Ava's Alphabet says
Wow! This bread looks amazing! I had no idea that you could make bread in a slow cooker. Brilliant! Pinned and sharing. Thank you for linking up at Family Joy Blog Party. We hope to see you at our next party starting on Sunday at noon EST!
Theresa Huse says
Looks amazing. Pinned & shared. Thanks for joining us at the Inspiration Spotlight party.
Debra Needles says
This sounds really yummy! Thanks for sharing it with us at the Funtastic Friday Blog Hop! I've selected it as one of my "favorites" for this Friday's Blog Hop! 🙂
Miz Helen says
We will love your Slow Cooker Olive Parmesan Bread, I can't wait to try this! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe with us at Full Plate Thursday! Hope you are having a wonderful week and hope to see you soon!
Miz Helen
Karren Haller says
I wanted to stop by and thank you for visiting the #OMHGWW last week.
Your post is being featured, chosen by one of our Co-Hosts, hope you will stop back by this week to share what you have going on-new or old.
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