Instant Pot Bread #15

I’ve always been mesmerized by the magical powers of baking since I was a kid!

It never ceases to amaze me how a few simple ingredients can transform into luring aromas & tasty baked goods out of the magical oven…

For the past 3 months, many of you have asked whether it’s possible to make bread in Instant Pot. So we took on the Breaking Bread Challenge!

We didn’t just do it 1 or 2 times, but we did it 15 times! Yes! It wasn’t meant to match our Cheesecake #17. hehe~

There were tests where we thought it was good for a pressure cooker bread, but we think if we made a tweak, it might tastes a bit better, or rise a bit better, or get a bit fluffier…so we said YES to another full day of breadmaking. Then, day after day, we just kept going…

But why 15 times?

We wanted to…

• Learn the ins and outs of making the easiest yet tasty Artisan Bread in Instant Pot 
• Know what makes or breaks the Instant Pot Bread
• Find causes for imperfections & ways to prevent the most common issues
• Satisfy our inner perfectionists & food nerd genes 😛

Easy . Foolproof . Tasty Bread

So, yes! We’re naming this Cheesecake #17’s little sister – Instant Pot Bread #15!

How to Bake Bread in Instant Pot?

This Instant Pot No Knead Bread is inspired by Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery’s No Knead Bread Recipe.

Making bread at home might sound complicated & intimidating. But it’s actually really easy! All you need is 4 ingredients (we’ll discuss more below).

First, let’s break down the whole bread-making process in 6 simple steps.

6 Easy Steps to Make Bread in Instant Pot:

1. Make Bread Dough
2. Rise Dough
3. Shape Dough
4. Proof Dough
5. Cook/Bake Bread
6. Cool Bread

Sounds easy right? 😀

The best part about this recipe is you don’t need to knead, and you don’t need any special ingredients, techniques, or fancy equipment. Plus, it’s super easy to make with minimal hands-on time, yet it yields a deliciously crusty & flavorful bread.

So, this Instant Pot Bread Recipe is great fun & rewarding, especially for beginner breadmakers!

So, don’t be intimidated by all the little details & pro tips we include in our bread recipe. They’re here to help you understand the breadmaking process and help you succeed! 🙂

Instant Pot Bread Experiment

No-Knead Bread Experiments

We did 15 bread-making experiments with varying amount of ingredients, rising/proofing/cooking times, temperatures, & methods to find the easiest, foolproof, tasty bread recipe:

• Amount of yeast, water, salt
• Adding sugar, baking powder
• Separating salt & yeast
• Types of Yeast: Active Dry Yeast vs. SAF Instant Yeast
• Brands of Flour: Robin Hood All-Purpose Flour vs. Store brand All-Purpose Flour
• Containers: Stainless Steel Container, Fat Daddio’s Cake Pan
• Rising & Proofing Covers: Stainless Steel Lid, Plastic Wrap, Damp Towel
• Rising & Proofing Temperature & Environment: Kitchen Counter, Instant Pot Yogurt Low setting, Instant Pot Sous Vide setting, Fridge
• Rising Times: 1.5 hour – 24 hours
• Proofing Times: 45 minutes – 25 hours
• Cooking & Baking Methods: Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, Instant Pot Duo Crisp, Air Fryer Lid, Oven
• Cooking & baking times
• Cooking Locations: On Rack vs. No Rack

oops…we got way too excited to try “Test #9 – the oven-baked version” that we forgot to take a photo of the sliced bread… 😛

Check out our 15 Bread Experiment Results:

(You can click on the photo to enlarge the charts)

Time to bake bread in Instant Pot!

Step by Step Guide: Instant Pot Bread #15

4 Ingredients for Making Bread in Instant Pot:

1. All-Purpose Flour
2. Fine Salt
3. Dry Yeast
4. Water

*Pro Tip: Try to avoid using super old yeast or drastically throwing off the ingredients’ balance.

Active Dry Yeast vs. Instant Yeast

Should I use Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast?

We tried both Active Dry Yeast & Instant Yeast and both worked. However, we found Saf instant yeast to be a bit more beginner-friendly for a higher success rate.

So if you haven’t bought the yeast yet, buy Instant Yeast. Otherwise, active dry yeast will work fine.

Do I need to activate the Active Dry Yeast first?

Technically, you can add active dry yeast directly to the flour. However, for a 100% success rate, we recommend activating the active dry yeast with 110°F lukewarm water first. 

In a small mixing bowl, add in the active dry yeast and 2 tablespoons (30ml) 110°F lukewarm water. Cover for 5 – 10 minutes. When it starts foaming, it is ready to be added to the dough.

Tools for Instant Pot Bread #15

• Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
  • Or Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air Fryer & Pressure Cooker
  • Or Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid
• Pyrex Measuring Cups
• Mixing Bowl
• Kitchen Scale
• Stainless Steel Container
• Food Thermometer
• Bowl Scrapper
• Cooling Rack

Make Bread Dough

In a large mixing bowl, add in 400g all-purpose flour, then 8g fine salt or table salt. Mix them very well.

Add in instant yeast, and make sure to mix them very well.

*Pro Tip: If you’re using active dry yeast, please see the yeast section above.

The best way to make the bread dough is to push all the flour mixture to the side by creating a well in the middle.

Gradually pour 300ml cold water into the middle well, then mix the flour until blended to form a wet sticky dough.

*Pro Tip: Make sure all the flour is mixed in. Depending on your flour, you may need another 30ml of cold water. However, be careful not to add too much additional water.

Finally, it’s important to cover the dough with a lid or food wrap to retain moisture. If you don’t have those, cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel.

Rising Dough

The optimum temperature for yeast to grow is 75°F (24°C) to 85°F (29°C). 

Your goal is to let the dough rise to double in size.

*Note: This rising process takes roughly 2 – 3 hours at 75°F to 85°F or 24 hours in a 37° F (3°C) fridge. 

*Pro Tip: The temperature affects the time it takes for the dough to rise, and the rising time determines the bread’s flavor. Generally speaking, the longer you let the dough rise, the more flavor it develops.

Choose between the three rising dough methods (click tabs):

Rising dough in Instant Pot

Our Test Kitchen was 75°F, so it was perfect for rising dough.

But if your kitchen is cooler (especially during winter) or warmer, you can use the Instant Pot Yogurt Low/Less setting. The temperate is roughly 72°F – 76°F.

*Tips for Instant Pot Duo Evo or Ultra models: you can use the Sous Vide function and set the custom temperature to 80°F.

First, grease the bottom of the inner pot with some oil.

*Note: you can use non-stick cooking spray if you like.

Add the bread dough in Instant Pot, then cover the Instant Pot with a lid or damped kitchen towel.

Wait & let the dough rise until it doubles in size (roughly 2 – 3 hours). 

*Pro Tip: Try to avoid extreme conditions for rising dough such as high or low temperatures. 

Shape Bread Dough

First, lightly dust your work surface with some flour (just enough so the dough won’t stick to the surface).

With the help of a silicone spatula or bowl scraper, place the dough on the dusted surface.

*Pro Tip: To avoid the dough from sticking to your hand, wet your hand with a bit of water before you fold the dough.

Fold the bottom part of the dough up, then pull and stretch the top part of the dough and fold it down.

Flip the dough over and roughly shape it into a round “ball” shape. 

Grease the bottom of a stainless steel container or cake pan with some oil, then place the round dough in the container.

*Note: If you grease the bread container, you don’t need to use parchment paper.

Cover the container with a lid. Alternatively, you can use aluminum foil to cover the container.

*Pro Tip: Springform pan or removable bottom cake pan is not ideal for this easy bread recipe, but they’ll work.

Optional – Final Proof Bread

*Note: This final proofing step is recommended. We proofed our bread on our kitchen counter at 75°F. But you can proof the bread in Instant Pot using “Yogurt Low or Less setting” or “Sous Vide function” (see Step 2 for more info).

Let the bread dough rest and proof for 1 to 2 hours at 75°F to 85°F.

*Pro Tip: If you like, you can dust the bread dough with a little flour just before baking/cooking.

Pressure Cook Bread

Instant Pot vs. Air Fryer Lid vs. Oven Methods

We’re sharing all three methods on how to bake bread in the Instant Pot, Oven, and Air Fryer. This way, you can choose your favorite method! 🙂

*Pro Tip: Out of these three methods, we like the oven-baked bread the most (better texture – fluffier and better crust all around). The Instant Pot and Air Fryer Lid methods yielded similar results. 

Choose between the 3 different cooking/baking methods (click tabs):

Uncover & Bake Instant Pot Bread

Soak up some of the water on the lid, then remove the lid.

Measure the bread’s temperature with a meat thermometer.

*Note: The core of the bread should be 180°F – 190°F.

Cool & Slice Instant Pot Bread #15

Finally, remove the bread from the container.

It smells sooo good~ 😀

*Note: Be careful, the container will be piping hot!

Place the crusty bread on a wire rack and let it cool down for at least an hour before slicing into it.

Ta da! You did it!! You made artisan bread in Instant Pot!

Enjoy this tasty Instant Pot No Knead Bread! 

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Instant Pot Banana Bread

Instant Pot Sausage Gravy (Biscuits & Gravy)