Homemade Bread Bowls

Homemade Bread Bowls are the ultimate way to serve soup, stew, chili, or even a creamy dip! Made from simple pantry ingredients, they bake up perfectly crusty on the outside with a soft, fluffy inside.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple Ingredients: You only need a handful of pantry staples to make these bakery-style soup bread bowls from scratch.
• Versatile: From soups to dips and more, this bread bowl recipe can be used in a variety of ways. We may be biased, but we love using these bread bowls for clam chowder. A bread bowl filled with creamy Boston clam chowder is the perfect combination!
• Fun Presentation: Let’s face it, eating out of an edible bowl made of bread is fun for both kids and adults alike.

For more bread recipes that pair well with soup, check out these homemade crescent rolls and fluffy dinner rolls next!

Ingredients

• Active Dry Yeast: Helps the dough rise and creates a light, airy texture. You can usually find it in the baking aisle at most grocery stores.
• Sugar: Feeds the yeast and adds a touch of sweetness.
• Olive Oil: Adds flavor and helps keep the bread tender.
• Salt: This is crucial because it not only enhances the flavor, but salt also controls fermentation and strengthens the gluten in the bread
• Cornmeal: You’ll need some for dusting your baking sheet and some for rolling the dough balls.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations

• Dinner Rolls: Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and shape into rolls. Bake at 375°F for about 12-15 minutes until golden. 
• Pizza Dough: After the first rise, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on a floured surface. Add sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings, then bake at 450°F until the edges are golden and the cheese is melted. 
• Mini Bread Bowls: Instead of 6 larger-sized bread bowls, make 8-10 smaller ones which are perfect for appetizer portions. This creamy tomato soup is the perfect starter! Note that the smaller bowls will bake up a bit faster, so keep an eye on them.

How to Make Homemade Bread Bowls

While this is an easy bread bowl recipe, it’s important to give yourself enough time to allow the dough to rise. You’ll also need to attach the dough hook to your stand mixer and get your mixing bowl ready.

1. Step 1: Proof the yeast. Add the yeast, sugar, olive oil, salt, and warm water to your mixing bowl and stir to combine. Let the mixture proof until it starts to bubble and foam, about 5 minutes.
2. Step 2: Knead the dough. To the mixture, add 4 cups of flour and knead using the dough hook attachment until it begins to form a ball. If the dough is still sticky, gradually add more flour until the dough comes together.

3. Step 3: Allow the dough to rise. Cover the bowl of dough with a towel and let it sit until it doubles in size, about 20 minutes. Then, punch down the dough.
4. Step 4: Make dough balls. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with some cornmeal. Divide the dough into 6 equally-sized pieces and form into balls. Roll the balls in cornmeal and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise for about 20 minutes, until the dough balls have doubled in size. While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 400°F.

5. Step 5: Score and bake. Use a sharp knife or bread lame to score an “X” on the top of each dough ball. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
6. Step 6: Cut the tops and hollow out the insides. Allow the bread bowls to cool slightly before handling. Then, use a serrated knife to cut a circle around the top of each one and remove the top. Hollow out the inside, but leave enough bread to hold your soup, dip, or whatever your adding to it.

Hearty stews like this instant pot lamb stew or your favorite chili like this creamy white chicken chili are great options for filling your bread bowls.

Expert Tips

• Use warm water. You want to make sure the water is very warm (about 110°F). Water that is too hot will kill the yeast, while water that is too cold will prevent the dough from rising properly.
• Score for best results. Scoring the tops with an “X” allows steam to escape and helps the bread rise evenly while baking.
• Don’t let anything go to waste. Both the cut off tops and the bread removed from the inside of the bowls are perfect for dipping or turning into croutons. 
• Storing: Store unfilled bread bowls in an airtight container or zip top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap each one in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag. Thaw before using. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

• Want to know what’s the best soup for bread bowls? We recommend creamy soups like this cauliflower and cheese soup or this baked potato soup, but you can really use any soup that you’d like.
• However, you don’t have to use these bread bowls for soup, stew, or chili! Try them with this creamy clam dip or this cold spinach dip for a fun party appetizer!

Homemade Bread Bowls Recipe FAQs

More Homemade Bread Recipes

Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe

These Homemade Bread Bowls bake up with a crisp, golden crust and a soft, fluffy center. They’re a fun way to serve soups, stews, chili, and party dips!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: bread

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 364kcal

Author: Kadee & Desarae

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 Tablespoon dry active yeast
• ▢ 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ¾ Tablespoon kosher salt
• ▢ 2 cups very warm water not hot
• ▢ 4-5 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ about 1 cup corn meal

Instructions

• Begin by combining 2 tablespoon active dry yeast, 2 tablespoon sugar, 2 olive oil, ¾ tablespoon kosher salt, and 2 cups very warm water in a large mixing bowl.  I like to use the bowl of my kitchenaid stand mixer.
• Let proof for 5 minutes.  The yeast should bubble and grow a bit.  If it doesn't, your yeast is dead and you will need to buy new yeast.
• Add in 4 cups of flour and kneed using the dough hook of your stand mixer until it pulls away from the sides and forms a ball.  If it does not begin to form a ball, gradually begin to add in up to one additional cup of flour. Kneed for several minutes.
• Cover with a thin towel and let rise until doubled in size. About 20 minutes.
• Once risen, punch down dough.
• Form into 6 equal sized balls and roll in corn meal.  Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper and dusted with additional cornmeal.
• Cover with a thin towel and let rise until doubled in size. About 20 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife or bread lame to score an “X” on the top of each dough ball. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
• Allow the bread bowls to cool slightly before handling. Then, use a serrated knife to cut a circle around the top of each one and remove the top. Hollow out the inside, but leave enough bread to hold your soup, dip, etc. 

Video

Notes

• The water should be about 110°F (between 105-115°F) in order to activate the yeast.
• Keep the tops and the bread from the center of the bowls that you scooped out for dipping or baking into croutons.
• The bread bowls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 878mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 4mg

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @OhSoDelicioso or tag #ohsodelicioso!

Save this recipe for later on Pinterest!