These homemade bread bowls are crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and perfect for serving soup or dip! They are easy to make, using common everyday ingredients, and can even be frozen for later! It will quickly become your new favorite way to enjoy soup, stew, chili, and dip!
Best Homemade Bread Bowls For Soup & Dip
If you've never enjoyed a perfectly baked bread bowl alongside some warm soup or savory dip, then you are truly missing out! The combination of a crispy crust and a soft, chewy inside is a match made in heaven!
It may seem like this is something you only see in restaurants, but it is incredibly easy to make your own bread bowl at home! You can even do it if you've never made bread before (and you definitely don't need a bread machine!)
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🥘 Homemade Bread Bowls Ingredients
One of the amazing things about this recipe is how simple the ingredients are! You don't need anything fancy, and you may already have all of it!
Bread
- Active Dry Yeast - 4½ teaspoons of active dry yeast. This is not the same thing as instant yeast!
- Water - 2¼ cups of warm water, between 105-115°F (41-46°C). This will activate the yeast and help to cut down on how long it takes the bread to rise.
- Sugar - 2 teaspoons of sugar.
- Salt - 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
- Bread Flour - 6 cups of bread flour, spooned and leveled.
Egg Wash
- Egg - 1 large egg.
- Milk - 1 tablespoon of milk or water.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Homemade Bread Bowls
Baking your own bread bowls may seem intimidating, but it's actually a pretty simple process that requires only a few ingredients and a tiny bit of patience! Plus, the end result is well worth the effort! You will need your stand mixer with the dough hook (or a mixing bowl if you are going to mix it by hand), a baking sheet, a knife, and your measuring utensils.
This recipe will make 6 bread bowls, which can easily be frozen for later!
Prepare The Bread Dough
- Mix the yeast. Place 4½ teaspoons of active dry yeast and the first ½ tablespoon portion of sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached or into a large mixing bowl. Pour 2¼ cups of warm water over the top of the yeast and whisk it together. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Add. Turn the mixer to low speed (or mix by hand) and add the second ½ tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the first 4 cups out of the 6 cups of bread flour with the 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Combine. Mix for 1 minute, and then add the remaining 2 cups of flour and mix on low for another 5-6 minutes, or until the dough is soft, thick, and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. *If the dough is too sticky, you can add more flour in 1-tablespoon increments.
- Rest. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form it into a ball. Place the ball into a greased mixing bowl, turning it so that the top of the dough also becomes greased. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it into a warm area to rise for 90 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
Portion & Bake The Bread
- Portion. After doubling in size, punch down the dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and punch it down again. Then, separate the dough into 6 equal portions and form each one into a ball.
- Rest. Place the dough balls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper (3 balls on each sheet), cover them, and set them aside to rest for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Brush with egg wash. Once heated, brush the top of each ball with an egg wash (1 large egg beaten together with 1 tablespoon of milk) and use a sharp knife to score a cross into the tops of the dough.
- Bake. Bake in the oven at 400°F (205°C) for 30 minutes or until the bread is golden in color.
- Scoop. Remove the bread from the oven and let them cool. Then, use a knife to cut a large circle out of the top and scoop out the center of the bread. Fill with your favorite soup or dip and serve immediately.
Use these homemade bread bowls to serve some lobster chowder, clam chowder, or any of your other favorite fall soups! It is also a great way to present sausage cream cheese dip, RoTel dip, or French onion dip!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Adding the salt directly to your bloomed yeast can retard the rising of your bread dough. Add the 4 cups of flour with the salt on top of the dry ingredients to mix it in with the other ingredients.
- For extra flavor, mix in 1½ tablespoons of garlic powder when you add the flour. Or, you can try 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon of rosemary, or 1 tablespoon of onion powder.
- Using warm water will significantly reduce the rise time. However, if the water is too hot (over 120°F/49°C), it will begin killing the active dry yeast.
- I recommend using bread flour for the best texture. If you don't have bread flour, you can make your own or swap it out for all-purpose flour.
- Portion your bread bowl dough into 6 rounds, or boules, that are approximately 4.5-5 inches (11.4-12.7 centimeters) round. Each boule should hold a 1½ cup serving of soup or dip easily.
- For serving party dips, portion the dough into 3-4 larger boules.
This recipe features seafood from Lobster Anywhere. Be sure to visit them for all of your seafood shopping! *I earn commissions on sales via this affiliate link at no additional cost to you.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Your bread bowls can be covered and kept at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freezing Bread Bowls
Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap as well as a layer of foil and then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then set out on the counter to come to room temperature before serving.
Reheating Bread Bowls For Serving Soup
Wrap the bread bowls in aluminum foil and place them into your preheated oven at 350°F (175°C). Heat for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
Bread bowls are best used for dips and soups that are thicker in consistency. If you use a watery broth-based soup, it could cause the bread to become soggy quickly. Additionally, you need to serve your bread bowl as soon as you add the soup or dip and not let it sit for too long.
Don't toss out the inside of the bread bowl! Instead, you can use it to dip into your soup, snack on them, or use them to make breadcrumbs or croutons!
Sure! You can make your bread a few days in advance and cover it and keep it in the fridge. Just wait to cut the top and scoop out the bread until closer to serving. Alternatively, you can freeze the bread for up to 3 months!
Yes, you can prepare the dough in a bread machine. Add the ingredients in the order recommended by the manufacturer and use the dough setting. Once the cycle is complete, remove the dough and proceed with the recipe from the shaping stage.
Yes, you can use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast. Instant yeast, also known as fast-rising or rapid-rise yeast, doesn't require dissolving in warm water like active dry yeast does. It can be added directly to the dry ingredients in your bread bowl recipe.
Keep in mind that instant yeast may cause the dough to rise more quickly than active dry yeast, so you'll need to keep a close eye on the rising times to avoid over-proofing.
🍲 Soups To Serve In Bread Bowls
- Corn Soup - A creamy vegetarian soup that uses common household ingredients!
- Tomato Rice Soup - Tomatoes, veggies, and rice make up this simple 30-minute soup.
- Homemade Chili - Hearty and satisfying chili is loaded with beef, beans, and flavor!
- Butternut Squash Soup - Roasted butternut squash is blended with chicken stock, heavy cream, and tons of seasoning!
- Crockpot Creamy Ham Potato Soup - Hands-off soup packed with potatoes and savory ham.
- Chicken Minnesota Wild Rice Soup - Creamy chicken soup with wild rice and vegetables.
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📖 Recipe Card
Homemade Bread Bowls
Ingredients
Bread
- 4½ teaspoon active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons per packet)
- 2¼ cups warm water (between 105-115°F / 41-46°C)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (divided - 2 equal portions of ½ tablespoon)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 6 cups bread flour (spooned and leveled)
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk (or water)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Place 4½ teaspoon active dry yeast and the first half of the 1 tablespoon sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached, or into a large mixing bowl. Pour 2¼ cups warm water over the yeast and whisk it together. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Turn the mixer to low speed (or mix by hand) and add the remaining ½ portion of the 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 4 cups out of the 6 cups bread flour and 2 teaspoon salt.
- Mix for 1 minute, and then add the remaining 2 cups of flour and mix on low for another 5-6 minutes, or until the dough is soft, thick, and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. *If the dough is too sticky, you can add more flour in 1-tablespoon increments.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form it into a ball. Place the ball into a greased mixing bowl, turning it so that the top of the dough also becomes greased. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it into a warm area to rise for 90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
- After doubling in size, punch down the dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and punch it down again. Then, separate the dough into 6 equal portions and form each one into a ball.
- Place the dough balls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper (3 dough balls on each sheet), cover them, and set them aside to rest for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Once heated, brush the top of each ball with an egg wash (1 large egg beaten together with 1 tablespoon milk) and use a sharp knife to score a cross into the tops of the dough.
- Bake in the oven at 400°F (205°C) for 25-30 minutes or until the bread is golden in color.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let them cool. Then, use a knife to cut a large circle out of the top and scoop out the center of the bread. Fill with your favorite soup or dip and serve immediately.
Notes
- Adding the salt directly to your bloomed yeast can retard the rising of your bread dough. Add the 4 cups of flour with the salt on top of the dry ingredients to mix it in with the other ingredients.
- For extra flavor, mix in 1½ tablespoons of garlic powder when you add the flour. Or, you can try 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon of rosemary, or 1 tablespoon of onion powder.
- Using warm water will significantly reduce the rise time. However, if the water is too hot (over 120°F/49°C), it will begin killing the active dry yeast.
- I recommend using bread flour for the best texture. If you don't have any, you can make your own or swap it out for all-purpose flour.
- Portion your bread bowl dough into 6 rounds, or boules, that are approximately 4.5-5 inches (11.4-12.7 centimeters) round. Each boule should hold a 1½ cup serving of soup or dip easily.
-
- To store: Your bread bowls can be covered and kept at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- To freeze: Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and set it on the counter to come to room temperature before serving.
- To reheat: Wrap the bread bowls in foil and place them in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Anonymous says
Wow amazing!
j.c. says
superbe merci pour la recette et lesnotes , bien faits
"superb thank you for the recipe and the notes, well done"
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Merci beaucoup