Bread Bowl Recipe

4.58 from 7 votes

August 18, 2024

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These homemade Bread Bowls are the perfect way to enjoy a hearty stew or creamy soup while cutting down on extra dishes. Made with basic ingredients like all-purpose flour, yeast, and warm water, these bread bowls turn your favorite soups into a delicious meal that’s as fun to eat as it is to make. Plus, once you’ve got the hang of it, you can easily whip up a batch for soups, dips, and even clam chowder!

A bowl of creamy soup with vegetables and chicken served in a hollowed-out bread bowl, with the bread top placed on the side.

Why You’ll Love This Bread Bowl Recipe

With the cooler temperatures slowly settling in for good, we know the soups, apple recipes, and all things pumpkin are going to be here to stay! While I love soup as much as the next person, soup becomes that much more delicious when there is a bread bowl recipe involved! This is one of those bread recipes that make you feel like a total pro, and you’ll be the star of soup season in your own kitchen. Bonus: these are freezer-friendly, so you can make them ahead for those nights when soup just hits the spot.

Ingredients Needed for Bread Bowls

My easy Bread Bowl Recipe is based off of this super simple Basic White Bread Recipe. No surprises here.

Warm Water – Aim for 107-110° F. Think a little warmer than baby bath water. Always err on the side of colder than warmer so you don’t kill the yeast.
Active Dry Yeast- I big puffy heart love Le Saf active dry yeast. I get the 1 pound pack from Costco and store extras in a clean, dry glass jar in the fridge.
Sugar or Honey- The yeast needs something to eat in order to create all that carbon dioxide and sugar or honey is just the ticket.
All Purpose Flour– This is the most common flour, so the one I suggest using. If you have bread flour, definitely use that!
Salt – Please please please don’t forget to add the salt! This is the only flavor you’re adding to this bread bowl recipe, so without it, you’ll have big bland messes.
Butter – Salted or unsalted butter is just fine. Melted, then slightly cooled so you don’t kill the yeast.
Egg or Milk – Used to help the bread bowls brown in the oven. Its an optional step but one I recommend for the best result.

Variations

Whole wheat bread bowls– Sub half the bread flour with whole wheat flour.
Garlic bread bowls– Add garlic powder and Italian seasoning to the dough for a flavorful twist.
Sourdough bread bowls– Use an active sourdough starter in place of yeast for a more complex flavor.
Smaller bowls– Make smaller dough balls for individual-sized portions for dips or smaller bowls of soup.

How to Make Bread Bowls

This Bread Bowl recipe is not that hard to make at all, you just need a little time! For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card below. Here are my step by step instructions for making bread bowls:

1. Proof the Yeast

Stir warm water together with yeast and sugar. Dissolve and set aside to bloom.

A person pouring yeast into a measuring cup.

A hand whisks a frothy liquid in a clear measuring cup on a kitchen counter.

2. Mix the Dough

Stir 4 1/2 cups of flour and the salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in melted butter and stir to cool (if hot from being melted.) With the mixer on, slowly stream in water and yeast mixture.

A glass bowl containing flour is placed on a light surface with a small sifter and a gray cloth nearby.

A glass bowl filled with flour has a well in the center containing a cracked egg yolk.

Sprinkle in flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (When you touch the dough, it will be tacky but not tacky enough to leave residue on your hands.)

A wooden spoon mixing frothy yeast mixture and flour in a glass bowl.

A wooden spoon mixing dough in a glass bowl. Hands are visible holding the spoon.

3. Knead

Using the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer, knead for 6 minutes on low speed or by hand.

Hands kneading a ball of dough on a floured surface with a gray cloth nearby.

Two hands kneading a ball of dough on a floured surface, with a gray-striped kitchen towel and a small mesh strainer in the background.

4. First Rise

Grease bowl and dough well. Cover with clean tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise 1 hour or until doubled in size. I like to place my dough in the oven with just the oven light on for warmth.

Hands coating a glass mixing bowl with oil using a brush. Flour and a sift are visible on the countertop.

A bowl of dough covered with plastic wrap is on a floured surface next to a sifter and a gray cloth.

5. Shape the Bowls

Punch dough down and divide into eight equal pieces on a lightly floured surface. Form each piece into a tight ball and place on a baking sheet.

A bowl of risen dough covered in plastic wrap with a small sifter filled with flour beside it on a light-colored surface.

A hand is seen punching down a large, risen ball of dough in a clear glass bowl on a light-colored surface. A sifter is visible in the background.

6. Second Rise

Cover and let the dough rise a second time for another 30 minutes.

Hands shaping dough on a floured surface with several dough balls and a flour sifter nearby.

A hand holding a ball of dough, with additional dough pieces and a flour sifter on a white surface.

7. Bake

Brush with egg wash and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Two baking trays with parchment paper, each holding four evenly spaced, unbaked dough balls.

A hand is brushing egg wash on a round dough ball on a parchment-lined baking tray, with more dough balls in the background.

Two black baking trays each containing four golden brown buns on parchment paper, arranged on a white surface.

Four golden brown buns on a parchment-lined baking tray.

8. Slice Tops off + Hollow Out

Let cool slightly before cutting the tops off with a sharp serrated knife and hollowing them out. Fill with stew, soup or chili.

A person uses a knife to slice a round bread roll on a wooden cutting board. Several bread rolls and a green bowl are visible nearby.

A hand uses a knife to cut into the top of a round bread loaf on a wooden cutting board, with more bread loaves in the background.

Storage + Make-Ahead Directions

Make your bread bowls ahead of time by making the recipe as written in entirety. After they are have been baked and cooled, store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.

What to Serve in a Bread Bowl

Lots of thicker soups, chilis, and chowders are ideal for bread bowls. Here are several soup recipes to consider!

Now, all you need is your favorite soup, and you’ve got a cozy, delicious meal right in these delicious edible bowls! The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends! 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

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4.58 from 7 votes