Easy Homemade Bread Bowls

There’s just something about a bowl made from bread that adds a little extra to hot soups. Take your comfort food up a notch with this easy recipe for Easy Homemade Bread Bowls!

I love making homemade bread. This recipe for homemade bread bowls uses the same recipe as this easy homemade bread. The only difference is the last step! I’ve had a lot of practice making this bread recipe, and I’ve learned a few things along the way. I thought I would share some of my best tips with you.

Homemade Bread Bowls

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To make bread bowls, split the dough into 6 smaller loaves after the third rise and knead. Shape the 6 dough balls into round loaves and let them rise (loosely covered with a tea towel) for 15 minutes, then bake the same way you would bake two larger loaves.

The trick is getting the bowls hollowed out. Carefully cut the top off the bowl like you would cut the top off a pumpkin before carving it. Then, use your fingers to gently scoop out the bread from inside the bowl. Do not use a spoon – it’s too easy to pop through the side of the bowl, and then all your soup will run out! When in doubt, leave a thicker wall to your bowl, it’s easier to eat the bread off the inside than it is to scoop the soup off your plate when it runs out through a hole.

Tips for Making Homemade Bread

Since I make bread so often (at least once a month), I buy yeast in a jar instead of the little packets. (If you’re really serious about it, you can buy a 2-pound bag of yeast from Amazon for about the same price as the 4 ounce jar!) This bread recipe uses 3 packets, or 2 Tablespoons of yeast, so buying the jar instead of the packets does save a lot of money. And it’s easier to scoop a spoonful out than it is to tear open three of those darn packets!

Yeast can go bad if you don’t use it quickly enough. You can store yeast in the freezer to keep it fresh longer. If you store your yeast in the freezer (like I do), you do need to let it come to room temperature before you use it. Scoop out the amount you need, set that aside in a small bowl, and put the jar back in the freezer. Let the yeast warm up to room temperature for an hour before you use it. (I don’t always remember to do this an hour ahead. But I do let it sit for at least 15 minutes.)

I used to make this recipe with all-purpose flour. I’ve recently switched to bread flour, and I love it! Bread flour has more gluten than all-purpose flour, so you end up with a slightly different texture to the bread. Using bread flour in this recipe gives you bread that is a little more chewy, and has a better crust than using all-purpose flour. If you don’t have bread flour handy, you can still use all-purpose flour. But you should definitely try it with bread flour.

Get a pastry mat. I used to just clean my counters really well and use that as my “lightly floured surface” to knead the bread dough. Then I had sticky bread dough and flour all over my counters. I would always forget to clean them right after the bread went into the oven, so then later I had to scrape the dried bread dough off. No. Fun. So get a pastry mat to use instead. If your pastry mat isn’t non-skid (like mine), you’ll want a non-skid mat (shelf liner like this works well) to put underneath the pastry mat so you’re not chasing it all over the counter top. Or just get a non-skid pastry mat.

Don’t over-mix the bread dough in your mixer, or over-knead the dough with your hands. You want to mix and/or knead the dough just until the flour is incorporated, and the dough ball is no longer sticky. If you over-mix, the dough actually starts to get stickier, and you need to add more flour. Some bread dough recipes need lots and lots of kneading; this isn’t one of them.

You can pull the bread apart into sections after the last rise and knead, but I think it’s easier to cut apart with a pizza cutter.

Make these bread bowls, and then fill them up with hot soup! They work best with a thick, chunky soup or a cream-based soup. Try these soups in your bread bowls!

• Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potato Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Ham & Corn Chowder
• Slow Cooker Ham & Cheese Soup
• Loaded Potato Soup

Print Recipe

Homemade Bread Bowls

Easy bread bowls to serve with tons of different soups and chilis!

Prep Time1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time1 hr 55 mins

Course: Side

Servings: 6 bread bowls

Author: Marybeth Feutz

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons yeast 3 packets
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 6 cups bread flour
• 2 cups hot water
• 5 Tablespoons canola oil
• 1 Tablespoon salt

Instructions

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in the 1/2 cup warm water and set aside.
• In an electric mixer with a dough hook, combine 3 cups flour, 2 cups hot water, the canola oil, and salt. Mix on low until combined.
• Add yeast mixture to flour mixture and mix until combined.
• While mixing on low speed, slowly add in the remaining 3 cups of flour, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides as needed.
• When the flour is incorporated, turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour and knead until just incorporated.
• Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. Punch dough down and gently knead. Let rise and knead 2 more times.
• After the third rise and knead, separate the dough into 6 parts. Shape each part into a round loaf and place on a baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise for 15 minutes more. Bake immediately after rising.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on wire racks.
• After the loaves are completely cool, carefully cut a circle out of the top of each loaf. With your fingers, gently scrape the bread out of the inside of the loaf, leaving a hollow bowl. Fill with hot soup or chili and serve immediately.

This recipe is linked up to Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook. Head over there to check out all the new recipes!

Enjoy!