Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (2024)

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September 1, 2020

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This Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe is like comfort food to the max. Made with pantry ingredients and baked until golden brown. Serve immediately with your favorite soup or freeze for later.

I’m so excited to be sharing this Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe with you today! A simple and comforting recipe that makes soups and stews that much more delicious. Whether you’re making Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup or White Chicken Chili, it will be that much more special served in a bread bowl. What’s better than a bread bowl? A homemade, warm bread bowl.

Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (1)

Hello, Fall! Hello, Bread Bowls!

With the cooler temperatures slowly settling in for good, we know the soups, apple recipes and all things pumpkin are going to be here to stay! While I love soup as much as the next person, soup becomes that much more delicious when there is a bread bowl recipe involved! Yes, it takes a little time (as any bread recipe will) but the pay off is so worth it!

Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (2)

Main Ingredients Needed

My Bread Bowl Recipe is based off of this super simple Basic White Bread Recipe. No surprises here.

  • Warm Water – you want this to be the 110- 115 degrees F. Think a little warmer than baby bath water. Always err on the side of colder than warmer so you don’t kill the yeast.
  • Active Dry Yeast- I big puffy heart love Le Saf active dry yeast. I get the 1 pound pack from Costco and store extras in a clean, dry glass jar in the fridge.
  • Sugar or Honey- the yeast needs something to eat in order to create all that carbon dioxide and sugar or honey is just the ticket.
  • All Purpose Flour– this is the most common flour, so the one I suggest using. If you have bread flour, definitely use that!
  • Salt – please please please don’t forget to add the salt! This is the only flavor you’re adding to this bread bowl recipe, so without it, you’ll have big bland messes.
  • Butter – Salted or unsalted butter is just fine. If you’re nervous about using yeast, use unsalted butter.
  • Egg or Milk –used to help the bread bowls brown in the oven. Its an optional step but one I recommend for the best result.

Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (3)

How to Make Bread Bowls

This Bread Bowl recipe is not that hard to make at all, you just need a little time! For full recipe details, see the recipe card below.

  1. Proof the yeast. Stir warm water together with yeast and sugar. Dissolve and set aside to bloom.
  2. Stir 4 1/2 cups flour and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in melted butter and stir to cool (if hot from being melted.)
  3. With mixer on, slowly stream in yeast and water mixture. After flour is incorporated, dough will still be very sticky.
  4. Sprinkle in flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (When you touch the dough, it will be tacky but not tacky enough to leave residue on your hands.)
  5. Knead for 6 minutes on low.
  6. Grease bowl and dough well. Cover with clean kitchen towel and set aside to rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  7. Punch down dough and divide into eight equal portions. Form into balls and place on baking sheets. Cover and rise another 30 minutes.
  8. Brush tops with beaten egg or milk and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.
  9. Cut a circle out the top to create a bowl. Scoop out the insides to create a deeper well. Fill with stew, soup, or chili.

Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (4)

Make-Ahead

Make your bread bowls ahead of time by making the recipe as written in entirety. After they are have been baked and cooled, store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.

What to Serve in a Bread Bowl

    • 25-minute Baked Potato Soup
    • White Chicken Chili
    • Cream of Cauliflower Soup
    • Broccoli Cheese Soup
    • The Best Chili Recipe
    • Beef Stew (Crockpot Recipe)
    • Summer Vegetable Stew Recipe
    • Creamy Crock Pot Stew

I hope you love this recipe as much as we did! Be sure to print/pin/save/bookmark this recipe and use it all season long! Have a great day, friends!

Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (5)

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Homemade Bread Bowls

This Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe is like comfort food to the max. Made with pantry ingredients and baked until golden brown. Serve immediately with your favorite soup or freeze for later.

servings 8 bread bowls

Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 17 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 17 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 2 cups warm water
  • 2 envelopes active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 5-6 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 1 egg (or milk) optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Stir yeast and granulated sugar into the water. Set aside to proof.

    Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (6)

  • In a large bowl, measure out 4 1/2 cups of flour with the salt. Stir. Add in the melted butter and stir to cool {if the butter was still warm from being melted.}

    Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (7)

  • Pour in the yeasty water mixture and stir with the dough hook to combine. You may have to scrape as you go to incorporate all of the flour. Once the dough comes together, keep sprinkling in flour until dough cleans the sides of the bowl and it is sticky to the touch but won't stick to your hands. {I added in 5 3/4 cups total.}

    Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (8)

  • Knead 6 minutes. Grease ball of dough and bowl generously, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm spot to rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.

    Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (9)

  • Punch down dough, divide into eight equal portions, form into balls, and place on the baking sheet to rise another 30 minutes to an hour.

    Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (10)

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush bread bowls with beaten egg {optional step} and bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 20 minutes.

    Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (11)

  • Cut a circle out the top to create a bowl. Scoop out the insides to create a deeper well. Fill with stew, soup, or chili! Serve.

    Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (12)

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 644mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 3.7mg

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread bowl, bread bowl recipe, how to make a bread bowl

Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What type of bread is a bread bowl made of? ›

When is comes to making bread bowls, we prefer a round crusty loaf of artisanal or sourdough bread. This shape is sometimes referred to as a boule, which comes from the French word for ball. We use boules to create bread bowls for French Onion Soup.

How do bread bowls not get soggy? ›

An issue that a home cook may encounter is bread bowls becoming too soggy too quickly. To avoid this sad fate, toasting your bread bowl is an easy preventative measure. Above all, a bread bowl's main job is to hold its soupy contents.

What is the point of a bread bowl? ›

They are basically a large bread roll, hollowed out and filled with soup – and then you get to eat the bowl! Simply cut out the center of your bread bowl, fill with a delicious creamy soup, and enjoy. Tear off pieces of the bread bowl as you finish your soup, and finish by enjoying the whole bowl itself.

How long does it take for bread to rise in a bowl? ›

On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a ball and place it into a large, greased bowl. Let the dough rise. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm environment until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. Punch down the dough.

What bread does Panera use for bread bowls? ›

Crafted from the same artisan Sourdough bread used in the classic Bread Bowl, the Double Bread Bowl features a crunchy crust and chewy center that pairs perfectly with all Panera soups, from sweet Creamy Tomato to the cheesy goodness of Broccoli Cheddar.

Why is it called cowboy bread? ›

Pan de Campo is also called Cowboy bread and is a sort of flat bread. The bread was eaten by Cowboys who worked the ranches in early Texas. The cowboys prepared it in small portable ovens which gave it its distinct texture and flavor.

Why do bakers not like bread bowls? ›

Bakers don't really hate bread bowls, but it might be a little painful to see perfectly good bread thrown out. The joke of the video is that bakers get emotional seeing their works of art, their loaves of bread, get turned into a bowl.

What do they do with the inside of a bread bowl? ›

The creation of bread into a bowl yields an important question: What to do with the insides? I love the insides of bread and tend to just snack on them or save them to dip in my soup, but the insides can also be saved to make croutons or bread crumbs to be used in meatloaf or meatballs or just on top of a salad.

Why is my homemade bread soggy? ›

Let your dough rise enough before baking it

If the dough doesn't fill out with gas, perhaps because it hasn't had time to rise properly, the inside of the loaf will remain soggy and dense as the dough won't bake properly. You should therefore leave plenty of time for your dough to rise.

Are you supposed to eat the bread in a bread bowl? ›

There's no wrong way to eat a bread bowl, but you might be wondering how to approach it. Treat the bread bowl like a regular bowl of soup and use a spoon to eat the actual soup, chili, or chowder. Then, have fun cutting or tearing apart the bread bowl itself.

Do you eat the bread in bread bowl? ›

Soups with thinner bases are not generally served in bread bowls, as the broth would make the bread get too soggy too quickly. The bread becomes flavored as it absorbs some of the stew's base, and can be eaten after the stew has been eaten. Bread bowls are also used for dips, using the scooped-out bread for dipping.

Can I refrigerate bread dough before first rise? ›

Most bread recipes have two rises, a first rise (also called bulk fermentation), and a second or final rise. You can chill your dough during either the first or second rise. Your yeast won't give you much love if it's asked to do both rises in the fridge, so it's best to do one or the other at room temperature.

Can I leave dough out overnight to rise? ›

Yes! If a recipe calls for proofing bread dough overnight in the refrigerator, it can be proofed on the counter at a warmer temperature for a shorter period. Rather than placing the dough in the refrigerator overnight, leave it covered on the counter for 1 to 4 hours until it's ready to bake.

Can I leave my dough to rise overnight? ›

When you put your dough in the fridge it slows the yeast activity down. It takes ten times longer for dough to rise in the fridge than it does at room temperature. This means you can put your dough in the fridge overnight or whilst you are at work and come back to it when you are ready.

What bread is known as pocket bread? ›

Pita, also Pitta, breads, also called Arabic bread, balady, shamy, Syrian bread, and pocket bread, are circular, leavened double-layered flat breads that originated in the Middle East. It is prepared with flour, water, baker's yeast, and salt.

What kind of bread do they eat in New Orleans? ›

This thin-crusted variety of French Bread—more commonly known as the Baguette, Po' Boy Loaf or Sunday Cap Bread—is fundamental to the New Orleans gastronomy. Each version of the French bread is slightly different. The baguette is the traditional 18-inch loaf that is served in many New Orleans restaurants.

What are 4 types of bread? ›

So whether you're a bread lover or just curious about the varieties offered, read on and discover your new favourite bread.
  • White bread. White bread is the most common type of bread in many countries. ...
  • Wholewheat bread. ...
  • Rye bread. ...
  • Sourdough bread. ...
  • Multigrain bread. ...
  • Baguette. ...
  • Ciabatta. ...
  • Pumpernickel bread.
Feb 7, 2023

What are bread pans made of? ›

The bread pan is made from a conductive material such as metal which might be treated with a non-stick coating. It can also be made of heat-resistant glass, ceramic, or a special type of paper that sticks to the dough but is easily removed, once cooked.

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