There are so many delicious meals, desserts, and even crafts you can create with a slow cooker. And now, thanks to some innovative thinkers, you can add bread making to that list.

Making fresh, artisanal bread in a slow cooker is really simple and cost-effective compared to buying from a bakery. Many recipes allow the dough to rise and cook simultaneously in the slow cooker, saving you a lot of prep time. Plus, you can bake bread in the summer without heating up your whole house by turning on the oven.

Here are some tips for making perfect slow cooker bread:

1. Know Your Slow Cooker: Most slow cookers reach around 200°F on the high setting, but this can vary. Bread can take anywhere from 1 to 2 ½ hours to bake, so check your loaf periodically after the first hour. Once you know your cooker’s timing, you can set it and forget it.

2. Use a Loaf Pan or Parchment Paper: If your bread pan fits in the slow cooker, use it for classic rectangular loaves. Otherwise, shape the dough into a round loaf and line the cooker with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make it easier to remove the bread.

3. Check with a Thermometer: Use an instant-read thermometer to check if the bread is done. It should reach an internal temperature of 190°F to 200°F.

4. Finish in the Oven: Slow cookers don’t get hot enough to create a crispy crust. To fix this, use your oven broiler for about 5 minutes. Brushing the loaf with butter or an egg wash beforehand will give it a beautiful golden color.

Here are some great slow cooker bread recipes to try:

1. Crock Pot Sandwich Bread: Soft and moist, this white sandwich bread uses basic ingredients like all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, milk, butter, and yeast. You can swap half the flour for whole wheat for a healthier version.

2. Slow Cooker Dinner Rolls: After mixing and kneading the dough, shape it into balls and place in the slow cooker. They may stick together a bit, but you can easily pull them apart.

3. Slow Cooker Olive Parmesan Bread: This no-knead bread uses quick rise yeast and needs about 2 hours of resting time before cooking.

4. Crock Pot Pumpkin Bread: To keep this bread moist, pour the batter into a loaf pan, place it in the slow cooker, and add two cups of water. Cover with paper towels and the lid.

5. Crock Pot Banana Bread: Perfect for using up ripe bananas, this bread takes only 30 minutes of prep and 4 hours on low (or 2 hours on high) to cook.

6. Crock Pot Apple Fritter Bread: Made with flax seed, apples, walnuts, and cinnamon, this dessert bread is a treat.

7. Slow Cooker Sweet Corn Bread: This easy-to-make bread requires no kneading or resting. Just mix the ingredients and cook.

8. Crock Pot Sourdough Bread: Costing only $0.61 per loaf, this simple bread uses flour, salt, and water. You’ll need to prepare a sourdough starter a few days in advance.

9. Slow Cooker Rye: This high-fiber, low-fat pumpernickel rye bread is ready for the slow cooker in just 15 minutes.

10. Slow Cooker Focaccia: Flavored with rosemary and thyme, this soft, chewy flatbread doesn’t require kneading.

11. Crock Pot Nutella Swirl Bread: Roll out brioche or challah dough, spread with Nutella, roll into a tube, slice lengthwise, twist, and bake.

12. Crock Pot Lemon Poppy Seed Bread: This fresh, zingy bread is more like a pound cake. Add a lemony glaze for extra sweetness.

13. Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls: Roll out the dough, spread with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, roll up, slice, and cook. Drizzle with your favorite icing.

Enjoy experimenting with these slow cooker bread recipes!