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homemade bread bowl recipe filled with soup on a plate with a spoon

Homemade Bread Bowls Recipe

This Homemade Bread Bowls recipe is so easy to make! Slightly crusty and chewy on the outside, super soft on the inside, and perfect for filling with your favorite soup or chili to create the ultimate comfort meal! Made from simple ingredients you may already have in your pantry.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword bread bowl recipe, bread bowls
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yields: 6 bread bowls
Recipe by Tessa Arias

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (152 grams) cornmeal, optional, for baking sheets
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons (2 packets or 14 grams) instant yeast
  • 2 1/2 cups (590 ml) warm water (110°F)
  • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon (13 grams) granulated sugar
  • 4 cups (508 grams) bread flour
  • 3 cups (381 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 egg, for egg wash
  • 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
  • 1 cup (236 ml) hot water, for oven

Directions

  1. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Or, for added texture (and to prevent sticking), take 1 cup of cornmeal and divide between the two baking sheets in place of parchment. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, stir together the yeast, water, olive oil, and sugar. Let the mixture bloom for 10 minutes.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together both flours, garlic powder, and salt. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and gradually add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture on low speed. The dough will come together and start to look a bit shaggy. Turn speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic but still sticky, about 5 minutes. You can also slightly moisten your hands with oil and knead by hand for about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  4. Gently deflate the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Using a floured bench scraper, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, each weighing around 250 grams. Stretch each portion into a tight ball, pinching the bottom with your fingers and rolling around on the counter to seal and shape. If the ball is shaped too loosely it may deflate while baking, so be sure to make a nice tight shape.
  5. Place 3 balls onto each prepared baking sheet. Slash the top with a sharp knife to score in an X shape. Cover and let rise again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F and place an empty broiler tray on the top shelf.
  7. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush evenly over the shaped bread bowls.
  8. Place baking sheet on the center rack. If both baking sheets fit into your oven, place them both on the center rack; otherwise, bake one at a time.

  9. In a swift movement, pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan(s) halfway through the baking time. Bake until the tops are golden and when carefully tapped underneath, the bread bowls sound hollow. If baking another pan, refill the broiler tray with more water before baking. Note: Your kitchen may appear a bit smokey due to the steam produced in the oven.

  10. Let the bread bowls cool completely on the pan. Cut a large round from the top of each loaf and scoop out the center. Fill with hot creamy soup and serve immediately.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

These bread bowls are best served with a creamy soup. Anything too watery will just soak right through.