These homemade bread bowls are great to enjoy with your favorite soup. It makes the meal more filling and satiating.
It is easy to make these bread machine bread bowls at home. They turn out hard and crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. The inside can be scooped easily to serve hot soup.
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Ingredients
These homemade bread bowls are made with only four basic pantry ingredients, bread flour, salt, water, and yeast. Bread flour has more protein compared to all-purpose flour. However, you can substitute it to make this recipe.
The water must be lukewarm. You can use the microwave to warm the water for about 20-30 seconds. Instant yeast or bread machine yeast can be used for the dough to rise.
Instructions
The process to make crusty and chewy bread bowls at home may seem daunting. But don't worry! It is easy, and you will only need just a few minutes of your time. All the jobs of mixing, kneading, and getting the dough through its first rise will be done by the bread machine.
Depending on the bread machine, you may have to add the wet ingredients first, followed by the dry ones, or vice versa. Select the dough cycle and allow the bread machine to do all the work. Once the cycle is complete, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough into 6 equal parts (about 115 grams each) and make smooth round balls. To make a smooth ball, pull and tuck all the edges of the dough ball to one side. Place the dough ball on the baking sheet with the smooth side facing up and spacing them about 4 inches apart.
Cover the dough balls with a food wrap and allow them to rise for about 60-90 minutes in a warm place. Preheat the oven to 425°F with the baking rack on the middle level.
Remove the food wrap and score the top of the bread bowls with a scoring tool or a sharp knife. This will allow it to bake and rise evenly and not break from the sides. Bake the bread bowls in the oven at 425°F for 25 minutes or until they are golden brown.
You can place a baking tray filled with water below the rack or put some ice cubes after placing the baking tray in the oven. This will give a nice shiny texture to the bread bowls.
Once the bread bowls are baked, apply some butter for a nice glaze, but this is optional. Allow them to cool down on a cooling rack.
To serve soup in the bread bowl, slice the bread bowl from the top and then scoop the inside with the help of a fork or a spoon.
Substitutions
The best thing about this bread bowl recipe is that it is made with only 4 ingredients. But you can still substitute a few ingredients based on what is available.
- All-purpose flour - instead of bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour and the bowls will turn out crusty from the top and soft inside.
- Yeast - you can use bread machine yeast or instant yeast.
- Vegan butter - you can apply vegan butter once the bowls are done baking.
Variations
These homemade bread bowls are vegan. They are perfect for serving soups in cold weather and make a satisfying meal. There are a few variations that can be done to the recipe.
- Size - This recipe makes 6 bread bowls of about four inches in diameter. If you want, you can make fewer bowls of a bigger size.
- Sourdough - These are french bread bowls but you can easily make them using the sourdough starter. Check out the recipe to make sourdough bread. You can adapt it to make bread bowls.
Equipment
To make these crusty bread bowls at home, I have used the Hamilton Beach 2 lb. bread machine. Any other bread machine will work well as all of them have the dough cycle.
If you do not have a bread machine, you can also make the dough in the stand mixer and allow it to rise in the instant pot, oven, or at room temperature. Check out this post on how to make bread dough in a stand mixer and proof it in the instant pot.
Once the dough is made, it is rolled into balls and allowed to rise for the final time before baking it in the convection oven on a baking sheet. After baking, you will need a sharp serrated knife to slice the top and then scoop out the bread with the help of a spoon or fork.
Storage
Bread bowls are best served fresh on the day they are baked after cooling down. They can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container or a bread box for 2-3 days. Just reheat them in the oven for about 3-4 minutes to make them crusty again from the outside.
They can also be frozen for about a month in the freezer. When you are ready to eat, defrost them and reheat them in the oven at 350°F for 5-7 minutes before serving.
If you want to plan ahead, you can make the dough in advance and make the dough balls. Cover them and store them in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. When you are ready to bake, take them out of the fridge and allow them to go through the final rise before baking.
Top tip
- To have a glossy finish, throw some ice cubes in the oven after placing the tray for baking.
- Allow the bread bowls to cool down completely before storing them.
FAQ
What kind of soup do you put in a bread bowl?
A thick cheesy soup is best for serving in a bread bowl. If the soup is thin, then it can make the bread bowl soggy faster.
Soups like broccoli cheddar soup, cauliflower soup, cream of mushroom soup, and gnocchi soup are perfect to serve in bread bowls.
What can you do with the inside of a bread bowl?
You can make breadcrumbs or croutons from the bread you scoop out of the bread bowl. You can easily make them in the oven or air fryer and then blend them to make breadcrumbs.
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📖 Recipe
Bread Machine Bread Bowls
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Equipment
- Convection Oven
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 420 grams Bread flour (3 ½ cup, or all purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 7 grams Bread machine yeast (2 ¼ tsp, or instant yeast)
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup Water (microwave 30 seconds)
Instructions
Making dough in bread machine
- Add all the ingredients (water, salt, bread flour, yeast) in the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer.
- Close the lid, select and start the "Dough" cycle.
- Dough is ready once the cycle is complete.
Shaping the dough
- Remove the dough from the bread machine pan on a lightly floured surface.
- Knead it for a few seconds and make a dough ball.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal parts (about 115 grams each).
- Make a smooth ball by tucking the edges to one side.
Final rise
- Place the balls in a baking tray with the smooth side on top.
- Allow about 4 inches of space in between the balls.
- Cover it with another tray or food wrap and allow it to rise for about an hour until it doubles in volume.
Baking in oven.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Apply a few cuts using a serrated knife or a scoring tool.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 425°F for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and optionally apply some butter with a basting brush.
- Allow the bread bowls to cool on a cooling rack.
- Once it is completely cooled down, slice it from the top with a serrated knife.
- Scoop out the inside of the bread bowl to make it hollow.
- Serve your favorite hot soup in the bread bowl.
Notes
- It is best to weigh the flour instead of measuring with a cup for consistent results every time.
- Read more about which yeast to use in a bread machine
- The dough can also be kneaded in a stand mixer and then proved in the instant pot or oven for about 1 hour before shaping into rolls.
- Check out this post for detailed instructions on how to knead dough in stand mixer and proof it in the instant pot.
- Follow the remaining steps starting from "final rise".
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Vicki Scott says
I can't wait to try some of these recipes.
Shelby says
Absolutely loved this simple recipe! Paired perfectly with potato soup that we had for dinner! Don’t think I let them rise long enough but no regrets! It was still delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Alpa Jain says
Hi Shelby,
I am glad to know you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Cheers,
Alpa