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!

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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.

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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.

What are the ingredients in Panera bread bowls? ›

Detailed Ingredients

Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Contains less than 2% off: Cultured Wheat Flour, Vinegar, Ascorbic Acid, Enzymes, Malt (Malted Barley Flour, Wheat Flour, Tapioca Dextrin), Salt, Vital Wheat Gluten, Yeast.

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.

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.

What do they do with the inside of bread bowls? ›

Bread bowls can be used to serve chili, New England–style clam chowder, and other thick stews (often, but not always, with a cheese or cream base). Soups with thinner bases are not generally served in bread bowls, as the broth would make the bread get too soggy too quickly.

What is Panera baguette made of? ›

Detailed Ingredients

Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Whole Wheat Flour, Contains less than 2% of Ascorbic Acid, Enzymes, Cultured Wheat Starch Blend (Cultured Wheat Starch, Wheat Flour, Citric Acid), Salt, Vinegar, Yeast.

Do Panera bowls have rice? ›

Say hellow to the new Turkey Chili Warm Grain Bowl. This bold combination of flavors takes our classic hili and pairs it with tender brown rice and quinoa, fresh spinach, cilantro, avocado, Greek yogurt, and masa crisps.

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.

How do you make bread bowl soft again? ›

To soften a stale loaf of bread, you need to heat it so that the starches will reabsorb the water. The thing to know is that this reabsorption starts to happen at about 131 F and continues up to around 185 F. The point is, you need a relatively low temperature to do it properly.

What decor to put in bread bowl? ›

You can have some extra fun changing around your dough bowl this spring!
  1. Bunny figure or statue.
  2. Faux eggs or egg gourds.
  3. Green moss.
  4. Old books (hit up the thrift store for these!)
  5. Fresh or faux plant.
  6. Fresh or faux greenery.
  7. Pretty planter.
  8. Brown Kraft paper. (I always keep a roll handy to use for so many things!)

How were antique bread bowls used? ›

Traditionally, this type of bowl was used for bread making. The ingredients were mixed and kneaded into dough in the bowl, then covered with a cloth and left to rise.

Do you eat the outside of a bread bowl? ›

Can you eat the bread bowl itself? Absolutely! The bread bowl is meant to be eaten along with the filling. It's a delicious way to enjoy the dish and adds a different texture and flavor to the meal.

What bread is known as pocket bread? ›

Most pita breads are baked at high temperatures (450–475 °F (232–246 °C)), which turns the water in the dough into steam, thus causing the pita to puff up and form a pocket.

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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