These sourdough bread bowls can turn a simple soup meal into an impressive entree. With a crisp crust and a springy interior, these bread bowls will pair well with your favorite creamy soup. Once you see how easy these are to make, you’ll want to serve your soup in bread bowls all the time!
Bread bowls are always such a comforting and cozy addition to meals. You can fill them with soup or with your favorite appetizer dip. Their individual serving size gives you the perfect ratio of bread to soup and makes them fun to eat.
Although sourdough bread bowls may seem intimidating, they actually are very simple to make. All you have to do is shape your dough into mini round loaves, bake them, and then cut out the centers! They take about the same amount of time to make as a regular loaf of sourdough and only use 4 ingredients.
What are bread bowls made of?
Bread bowls are small, circular loaves of bread with the insides hollowed out to hold soup or sometimes dips. They are so fun because you get to eat the serving dish!
What kind of bread is good for bread bowls?
Bread bowls require a sturdy bread that won’t become soggy when filled with soup. A circular shape also helps to keep the soup from leaking out. Because of its crusty exterior, sourdough makes an excellent bread bowl. It also tastes delicious!
How do I keep my bread bowl from getting soggy?
The easiest way to keep your bread bowl from getting too soggy and falling apart is to serve the soup immediately after you pour it into the bread bowl. Additionally, creamier soups like this chicken and chickpea soup recipe work well because the bread can’t absorb as much of the soup.
If you have extra time, you can also cut the centers of the bread bowls out several hours before you plan to serve them. This will allow the insides to become slightly drier and stiffer, which makes the bread bowls less likely to absorb the soup.
Tips for making sourdough bread bowls:
- If you want to make your bread bowls exactly the same size, use a food scale to weight each piece of dough out before rolling them into balls. It’s not necessary, but it ensures that every bread bowl is baked evenly and for the right amount of time.
- Don’t skip the refrigeration step before baking your bread bowls! It will give them a better oven spring. Even you only refrigerate them while the oven preheats, you should still do this!
- If you have a serrated knife, you should use it when cutting out the centers of the bread bowls. It will be easier for you and keep the bowl from getting smooshed.
- Save the insides of the bread bowls for dipping in your soup or dip!
- If you have any extra time, you can cut the centers out of your bread bowls ahead of time and let them dry out for a few hours before serving your soup. This will make them a bit crustier and help prevent them from becoming soggy when filled with soup.
- If you’re concerned about messy eaters, you can serve the bread bowls inside a regular bowl to catch any spills. Even if you’re not messy, this also makes it easier to eat the bread bowl. 🙂
Tools you will need
All you need is 2 baking trays and an oven! A serrated knife is helpful for cutting our the centers of the bread bowls, but a regular knife will work too.
Ingredients you will need
These bread bowls only need 4 ingredients:
- 4 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
How to make Sourdough Bread Bowls
The night before you want to serve your bread bowls:
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in the sourdough and water. Knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let the dough proof for 10-12 hours until it has doubled in size.
Separate the dough into 8 equal pieces. If you want to make the bowls exactly the same size, you can use a food scale to measure each piece, otherwise you can just eyeball it. 🙂
Roll each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchement paper. Let the bread bowls rise for a few hours until puffy and almost doubled in size. Refreigerate until you’re ready to bake them.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Add a tray to the bottom rack of your oven and fill with water. Take your bread bowls out of the fridge and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Let cool, then cut out the middle of each bread bowl with a serrated knife. You can save the centers for dipping in the soup, or just eat them plain. Fill with your favorite soup and enjoy!
Did you enjoy this sourdough recipe?
If so, check out other sourdough recipes at the Kitchen Counter! Here are some of my favorites:
Sourdough Bread Bowls
These sourdough bread bowls add an fancy flair to a simple soup meal!
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in the sourdough and water.
- Knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Cover and let the dough proof for 10-12 hours until it has doubled in size.
- Separate the dough into 8 equal pieces. If you want to make the bowls exactly the same size, you can use a food scale to measure each piece.
- Roll each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchement paper.
- Let the bread bowls rise for a few hours until puffy and almost doubled in size. Refreigerate until you're ready to bake them.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Add a tray to the bottom rack of your oven and fill with water.
- Take your bread bowls out of the fridge and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let cool, then cut out the middle of each bread bowl with a serrated knife. You can save the centers for dipping in the soup, or just eat them plain.
- Fill with your favorite soup and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 254Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 294mgCarbohydrates 53gFiber 2gSugar 0gProtein 7g
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