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The Ultimate Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe: Soft Inside, Crusty Outside – Perfect for Any Soup or Dip

A rustic, golden-brown bread bowl with the top cut out, revealing a soft, airy interior, perfect for soup.
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Learn how to make bakery style bread bowls at home that rival restaurant quality. This recipe gives you soft interiors and crusty exteriors, making them perfect edible soup bowls for your favorite chili, clam chowder, or dips.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water (about 105-115°F)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for coating
  • 1 egg white, beaten with 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, and salt.
  2. Add the warm water and olive oil to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. This dough should be slightly sticky.
  4. Lightly oil a clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
  5. Gently punch down the dough. Divide it into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a tight round ball. These will be your bread bowls.
  6. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them. Cover loosely and let them rest for 30 minutes.
  7. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place a shallow pan on the bottom rack to create steam later.
  8. Brush the tops of the dough balls lightly with the egg white wash. This helps achieve a nice crust.
  9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bread bowls are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
  10. Remove the bread bowls from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before hollowing.
  11. To serve, use a sharp knife to cut a circle around the top of each loaf, leaving a half-inch border. Gently pull out the soft bread from the center, leaving a sturdy wall. Save the removed bread for dipping.

Notes

  • For a crispier crust, place a few ice cubes in the shallow pan on the bottom rack just as you put the bread in the oven to create steam.
  • If you are making these ahead of time, you can bake them fully, cool them, and store them in an airtight container for up to two days. Reheat briefly before serving.
  • These bread bowls are fantastic for serving loaded baked potato soup or creamy broccoli cheddar soup.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchenuser.net/homemade-bread-bowls-recipe-crusty-soft/