Bread Bowl Recipe

These homemade bread bowls are crisp on the exterior and extra soft inside. They’re made from a basic, yet versatile bread dough using everyday ingredients. This recipe yields 6 bread bowls, but you could use this dough for pizza crust or smaller dinner rolls instead. See notes in the full recipe.

Tie on your aprons, gather your determination, and heat up that creamy soup. Let’s dive right into homemade bread bowls!

If you’re a bread beginner, don’t be nervous about yeast. It’s just another ingredient added to the dough. We’re not doing anything special with it. We’re just mixing it with water. The magic happens during hands-off time.

bread bowl recipe

Homemade Bread Bowls

bread bowl recipe

Perfect Homemade Bread Bowls, made right in your own kitchen! These are nothing short of AMAZING, with a perfect crusty exterior, and soft in the center.

Prep: 25min

Total: 120min

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 468 kcal, Carbohydrate 88 g, Protein 12 g, Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Sodium 936 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 4 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups warm water
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons active dry yeast ((2 packets))
  • 2 Tablespoons +1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (, divided)
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons butter (, melted)
  • 7 to 9 cups all-purpose flour (, divided)
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 egg white

Instruction:

  1. Combine the water, yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar in a small bowl. Stir just until the yeast is dissolved. Cover with a towel and let stand until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, add the salt, remaining sugar, butter, yeast mixture, and 3 1/2 cups of the flour, and mix. Slowly keep adding more flour (about 1 cup at a time) until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
  3. Knead the dough (with your stand mixer, or using your hands) for about 5 minutes. Stop and touch the dough with a clean, dry finger. The dough shouldn’t be “sticky”, but may barely stick to your finger. Add a little more flour, as needed, until you reach that consistency. Knead for 2-3 more minutes.
  4. Lightly spray another large bowl with nonstick spray and transfer the dough to that bowl. (Flip the dough over once so both sides are coated with spray). Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
  5. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (I like to cut it with a serrated knife into equal portions. Pick up one section of the dough and pat it down with your hands to remove any air. Use your hands to gently fold the dough into a tight ball. Place the dough ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make a very small “X” slit on the top of the dough rounds with a serrated knife.
  6. Beat an egg with 1 tablespoon of milk to make an egg wash. Lightly Brush the tops of each dough ball with a very thin layer of egg wash.
  7. Cover the rolls really lightly with a piece of plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 30-40 more minutes.
  8. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting for bread bowls.

Homemade Bread Bowls

bread bowl recipe

Homemade crusty and soft bread bowls- a delicious basic dinner roll recipe you should hold onto!

Prep: 2h

Total: 2h30min

Yield: 6

Ingredients:

  • 2 packets Red Star® Active Dry Yeast (4 and 1/2 teaspoons)
  • 2 and 1/4 cups (540ml) warm water (110°F – 115°F)
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 Tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
  • 6 cups (780g) bread flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for hands and surface*
  • egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water or milk

Instruction:

  1. Pour the warm water over yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Or, if you don’t have a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. Whisk together and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel. The mixture should be frothy and foamy after 5 minutes.
  2. With the stand mixer running on low speed, add the sugar, salt, olive oil, 4 cups of bread flour, and seasonings (if using, see recipe note). Beat on low speed for 1 minute, then add remaining 2 cups of flour. Beat on low speed for 5-6 minutes. The dough should be thick, yet soft. And only slightly sticky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl as it mixes. If it’s too sticky, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  3. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Then place into a large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. (I just use the same mixing bowl– remove the dough, grease it with nonstick spray or olive oil, put the dough back in.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm environment to rise until doubled, about 90 minutes. Tip: For the warm environment on a particularly cold day, heat your oven to 150°F (66°C). Turn the oven off, place the dough inside, and keep the door slightly ajar. This will be a warm environment for your dough to rise. After about 30 minutes, close the oven door to trap the air inside with the rising dough. When it’s doubled in size, remove from the oven.
  4. Once doubled in size, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down again to release any more air bubbles if needed.
  5. Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut into 6 even pieces. Form each into a large ball.
  6. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Place 3 dough balls onto each. Cover lightly and set aside to rest for 20 minutes as the oven preheats.
  7. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Brush each dough ball with egg wash and, using a sharp knife, score an X into the tops of each.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. For a more accurate test for doneness, the bread bowls are done when an instant read thermometer reads the center as 195°F (90°C).
  9. Cool until ready to handle. The longer you cool, the easier they are to cut open. For serving, cut a large round out of the top of each bread bowl. Scoop out the center (save the center to dunk into soup!) and fill with soup.
  10. Cover and store leftover bread bowls at room temperature for a couple days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. You can also freeze the baked bread bowls for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Quick and Easy Bread Bowls

bread bowl recipe

Impress all your friends by serving cream soups or dips with this bread bowl recipes. It’s one of the most popular recipes on my blog, yammiesnoshery.com. —Rachel Heidenreich, Marshall, Michigan

Prep: 35min

Total: 55min

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: calories 283 calories, Fat 1g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 396mg sodium, Carbohydrate 57g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 10g protein.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 3 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 6-1/2 to 7-1/2 cups bread flour
  • Optional: Cornmeal and sesame seeds

Instruction:

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 500°. Punch dough down. Divide and shape into 6 balls. Place 3 in. apart on 2 baking sheets that have been generously sprinkled with cornmeal or greased. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 15 minutes. Spray loaves with water; if desired, generously sprinkle with sesame seeds. Using a sharp knife, score surface with shallow cuts in an “X” pattern. Bake 2 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 425°. Bake until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190°-200°. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Cut a thin slice off the top of bread. Hollow out bottom portion of loaf, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Discard removed bread or save for another use, such as croutons.

How to Make Homemade Bread Bowls

FAQ

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 you keep bread bowls from getting soggy?

How do I keep my bread bowl from getting soggy? The biggest way to avoid a soggy bowl is to serve a thicker soup inside. Broth type soups will soak up the middle and create a soggy mess. Also, serve the bread bowl immediately after adding the soup-the longer the soup sits the soggier the bread will be.

What does Panera use for their 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.

About the author

Helen is an author and editor at helenbackcafe.com, who has a passion for writing about recipes. She loves to experiment with different ingredients and cooking techniques to create delicious and unique dishes.

Among all the foods, pizza holds a special place in her heart, and she loves exploring different variations and toppings to create the perfect slice. Through her writing, Helen hopes to inspire others to get creative in the kitchen and share their love for food with the world.

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