This homemade bread bowl recipe is made with just 7 simple, pantry-staple ingredients and turn out perfectly golden and crisp on the outside with a soft, fluffy interior. If you can make dinner rolls, you can easily make these cozy bread bowls that are perfect for serving soups, chowders, or hearty chili.
There’s something extra satisfying about ladling warm soup into a freshly baked homemade bread bowl on a cold day. These simple bread bowls are made with just 7 simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand, and there is no fancy equipment or special techniques required.
If you’ve ever made dinner rolls or sandwich bread, you can make these! The dough comes together easily and bakes into crisp, chewy bowls with a soft, tender inside, which is perfect for creamy soups, hearty chilis, or even dips.
Whether you’re making them for a cozy weekend meal or a crowd-pleasing dinner, these bread bowls make any soup night feel a little more special.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Olive oil: I like to use olive oil in baked goods and breads, but you can use a similar neutral oil like canola oil instead.
- Kosher salt: If you don’t have sea salt or kosher salt, you can use half the amount of table salt.
- Bread flour: Bread flour will give you the chewier texture of a classic bread bowl. If you don’t have bread flour, you can use all-purpose, but you may find that you need to use a slightly different amount.
How to make homemade bread bowls
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment, add warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Gently stir to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. If the yeast doesn’t foam, start over. Otherwise, your bread dough won’t rise properly.
Step 2: Stir in remaining 3 teaspoons sugar, olive oil, and salt.
Step 3: Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until you create a shaggy dough. You may not need to use all of the flour.
Step 4: Knead in stand mixer on medium-high for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Step 5: Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place to double in size, about 1-1 ½ hours.
Step 6: While waiting for the dough to rise, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 7: Punch dough down. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape each into a tight ball. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced apart.
Step 8: Cover again and let rise for another 30-45 minutes, until puffy.
Step 9: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pour 1 cup of water into a baking dish at the bottom rack of the oven. This will create a little steam in your oven and help the outer crust to form.
Step 10: In a small bowl, beat egg and 1 tablespoon water together. Brush the tops of the dough balls with egg wash.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped (with an internal temperature of about 190-210 degrees F). Let cool slightly on a wire rack.
Step 11: Use a serrated knife to cut a circle from the top of each bread. Gently pull out some of the bread, leaving about ½-inch wall all around.
Recipe Tips!
- Mixing by hand: You can mix and knead the dough by hand. You’ll want to add about 3 minutes to the kneading time if kneading by hand.
- Freezing: To freeze the bread bowls, let them cool to room temperature on a wire cooling rack. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 1 month.
- Soups that go well with bread bowls: You can use your favorite type of soup, like Wisconsin Cauliflower or Lasagna Soup, in the bread bowl. They also go well with chunkier stews, like beef stew, or even chili.
Storage
Store any leftover bread bowls in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for 2-3 days when properly stored.
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Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups warm water about 110 degrees F
- 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast 2 packets
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 5 – 6 cups bread flour
- 1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment, add warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Gently stir to combine.2 ¼ cups warm water, 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Stir in remaining 3 teaspoons sugar, olive oil, and salt.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until you create a shaggy dough.5 – 6 cups bread flour
- Knead in stand mixer on medium-high for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place to double in size, about 1-1 ½ hours.
- While waiting for the dough to rise, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Punch dough down. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape each into a tight ball. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced apart.
- Cover again and let rise for another 30-45 minutes, until puffy.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pour 1 cup of water into a baking dish at the bottom rack of the oven.
- In a small bowl, beat egg and 1 tablespoon water together. Brush the tops of the dough balls with egg wash.1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped (with an internal temperature of about 190-210 degrees F). Let cool slightly on a wire rack.
- Use a serrated knife to cut a circle from the top of each bread. Gently pull out some of the bread, leaving about ½-inch wall all around.
Notes
- Olive oil: I like to use olive oil in baked goods and breads, but you can use a similar neutral oil like canola oil instead.
- Kosher salt: If you don’t have sea salt or kosher salt, you can use half the amount of table salt.
- Bread flour: Bread flour will give you the chewier texture of a classic bread bowl. If you don’t have bread flour, you can use all-purpose, but you may find that you need to use a slightly different amount.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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