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How to Make Sourdough Bread Bowls Perfect for Soup

How to Make Sourdough Bread Bowls Perfect for Soup: Learn to bake your own sourdough bread bowls, a fun and easy way to serve soup in a bread bowl

Ingredients

  • Loaf of sourdough bread

Instructions

  • Cut the top crust off of your loaf. 
  • Carefully, using your fingers or a spoon, start hollowing out your loaf. 
  • Make sure you leave a thicker layer of bread on the bottom, so that the soup doesn’t drain through. 
  • Once your loaf is the shape of a bowl, fill with your favorite soup and serve! You can use the top crust as a lid if you wish. 

Notes

Tips

1. Don’t rush the rise time. Okay, here’s the deal: you’ve gotta let your dough rise. I know it’s tempting to rush through it, but trust me, letting the dough rise properly gives it that perfect mix of crispy outside and soft, chewy inside. The first rise, or bulk fermentation, is super important for developing flavor and texture. Just pop your dough in a warm spot and let it do its thing. The longer it rises, the better the bread will turn out. That extra time? It's totally worth it in the end. 
2: Use the right flour for best results: If you want your bread bowls to hold up when you pour in that hot, hearty soup, go for bread flour. It’s got more gluten, which helps your dough rise and gives you that chewy inside we all love. You can use all-purpose flour in a pinch, but you won’t get that sturdy crust that holds its shape with something like clam chowder or tomato soup. So, bread flour is the way to go for those solid, perfect sourdough bowls.
3: Use a serrated knife for cutting: When cutting the top off your loaf, you want to use a serrated knife. It’s the best tool to slice through the crust without smashing the bread. Then, hollow out the inside with a spoon or hands, but leave a decent layer at the bottom. You don’t want your soup leaking out all over the place, right? A thick enough base will keep everything nice and contained.
4: Make sure the crust is golden brown: Now, about that crispy crust...you don’t want to under bake your bread. Make sure the bread turns golden brown, especially around the edges. If you’re not sure, tap the bottoms of the bowls. If they sound hollow, you know you’re good. Using a baking stone or pizza peel will help with even baking and give you that extra crispness. And if you’re baking a bunch, it’s kind of fun to see those little bowls turn into perfectly crispy, edible containers.

Storage

Refrigeration: While it’s not usually recommended to store homemade bread bowls in the fridge, you can do so if you plan to use them within a day or two. Simply wrap them in a tea towel or place them in a paper bag to keep them from drying out.
Make sure your bread dough has fully cooled down before storing, or you risk moisture getting trapped, leading to sogginess. Just note, the insides of the bread bowls will lose some of that lovely crunch, so refrigerating them is more of a short-term solution if you’re in a pinch.
Freezing: Freezing is your best bet if you need to store these bread bowls for longer periods. Wrap each sourdough bread bowl tightly in plastic wrap or place it in a resealable plastic bag. Be sure to press out any excess air before sealing. You may also use a piece of parchment paper between bowls to prevent them from sticking together. 
Thawing: Thawing sourdough bread bowls is simple. Just let them sit at room temperature for a few hours, or if you’re in a hurry, pop them in a preheated 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes. This brings back that crispy crust and soft inside. If you want to keep them extra moist, wrap them in foil during the first part of baking, then uncover to crisp them up. It’s perfect for a hearty soup, like Maryland crab soup or any creamy one you love.