Homemade Bread Bowls
Crusty individual bread bowls with sturdy walls and a soft interior, made for thick soups, chilli and creamy dips.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine American
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Four generous bowls from one batch, which is a whole dinner for a family.
- The crust is what does the work — crisp enough outside to hold a hot soup without collapsing.
- The crumb you pull out is the best part, and it goes straight back in as dippers.
Recipe
Homemade Bread Bowls
Crusty individual bowls with walls sturdy enough for soup.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast. Add the flour, salt and olive oil.
- Step 2. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Step 3. Cover and rise for 60 minutes, until nearly doubled.
- Step 4. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape each into a tight round ball and place well apart on a lined baking sheet.
- Step 5. Cover and rise for 25 to 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 220 C / 425 F.
- Step 6. Brush with egg wash if using. Score a small X in the top of each bowl.
- Step 7. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until deep golden and firm. Cool completely.
- Step 8. Slice a lid from the top, pull out enough crumb to make a cavity, and leave walls about 2 cm / 3/4 inch thick. Fill just before serving.
Notes
- Shape each ball tightly, pulling the surface down and pinching underneath. A loose ball spreads into a disc and you end up with a plate rather than a bowl.
- Cool them completely before hollowing. Warm bread tears rather than cuts, and the walls end up ragged and thin in patches.
- Leave the walls a full 2 cm thick. It feels excessive until soup goes in and the bowl is still standing twenty minutes later.
- Fill at the last moment. Even a good bread bowl is on a timer once the soup is in.
Homemade Bread Bowls — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/homemade-bread-bowls/
Ingredient Notes
- Bread flour
- Not optional here. The walls have to hold hot liquid without going soft, and that needs the structure only higher-protein flour gives.
- Egg wash
- Gives the deep glossy brown that makes these look like something from a bakery. Skip it and the bowls are paler but bake identically.
- Olive oil
- A small amount keeps the crumb tender. Any more and the crust softens, which is the opposite of what a bread bowl needs.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl or stand mixer
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Serrated knife
Substitutions
- Toppings
- A scatter of sesame seeds, rolled oats or coarse salt on the egg wash before baking.
- Size
- For six smaller bowls, divide into 6 and reduce the bake to about 20 minutes. Better for a starter portion than a main.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Best on the day they are baked, while the crust is still crisp. Keep uncut bowls in a paper bag for up to 2 days and refresh in a hot oven for 5 minutes.
Freezing: Freeze the baked, cooled and unhollowed bowls for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen at 180 C / 350 F for about 15 minutes, then hollow.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep a bread bowl from getting soggy?
Thick walls, a thick soup, and filling at the last moment. You can also brush the hollowed inside with olive oil and bake it for 5 minutes, which forms a partial seal.
What soup works best in a bread bowl?
Anything thick — broccoli cheddar, chowder, chilli, creamy potato. A thin brothy soup soaks straight through the walls and the bowl fails quickly.
Can I hollow them out while they are warm?
Better not. Warm bread tears instead of cutting cleanly, and you end up with thin patches in the walls. Cool them completely first.
Why did my bread bowls spread out flat?
The dough balls were shaped loosely, or the second rise went too long. Build real surface tension when shaping and keep the second rise to about 25 to 30 minutes.
How thick should the walls be?
About 2 cm or three-quarters of an inch. Thinner looks more generous but gives way once hot liquid goes in.
What do I do with the bread I pull out?
Tear it into pieces and serve it alongside for dipping, or toast it into croutons. It is the softest part of the loaf and worth keeping.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
