Sourdough Bread Bowls
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I love making Sourdough Bread Bowls to serve with my favorite creamy soup recipes. They are so delicious and pretty with their seed toppings. Just slice the top, remove some of the bread filling, and spoon soup into them to enjoy. One word says it all. Yum!
(Post modified with new photos on 10/26/23.)
The bread bowls have a delightful crispy crust, but when sliced, they yield a delicious tanginess only sourdough can offer, which pairs well with creamy soups. Remove some of the inside and use those pieces to dip into the soup, or store it away for later to make croutons or even a sourdough dressing for the holidays.
To make these simple bowls, I adjusted my Tangy Sourdough Bread recipe to make 8 small loaves of bread. After they’ve baked and cooled, you can use them, store them in a bread box, or freeze for later.
Creamy Soups to Enjoy with Bread Bowls
- Easy Baked Potato Soup
- Country Potato Soup
- Shrimp Chowder with Bacon
- Creamy Cabbage and Bratwurst Soup
Ingredients for Sourdough Bread Bowls
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- sourdough starter that has been “fed”
- warm water
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- kosher salt
- instant yeast, optional
- small egg + water (for egg wash)
- sesame seeds or Everything Bagel Seasoning
Instructions for Making This Recipe
To begin, gather all the ingredients and have them close by on the counter or table, ready to use.
Prepare the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, (See my Recipe for Sourdough Starter Here) water, and 3 cups of flour. Beat vigorously with wooden spoon for 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for about an hour.
In a large mixing bowl, using a kneading hook attachment, combine the starter mixture with the remaining 2 cups all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and optional instant yeast.
Using instant yeast will ensure a faster rise, if time is a factor for your baking routine.
Begin mixing at a low speed, adding up to 1/4 cup of water as needed to make a smooth dough. Adding water may, or may not be necessary.
Continue kneading for 5-7 minutes. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled. (This may take 2-3 hours).
If you have opted not to use the instant yeast, you may remove the dough at each hour interval to stretch and fold, envelope-style to work the gluten in the dough. The dough will most likely be sticky. Use a stainless bench scraper to lift the dough from the work space more easily.
Form the Bowls
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, along with a baking stone. Spray two sheets of parchment paper with baking spray and set out on a workspace.
If you don’t have a baking stone, you may use two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Once the dough has doubled, stretch and fold the dough, envelope-style, again using the bench scraper as needed. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, forming each into a ball. Place four balls on each sheet of parchment paper and cover with greased plastic wrap or a clean cotton tea towel. Make sure to allow space for the dough to rise without the balls touching each other. Allow the dough to rise for 40-60 minutes until puffy.
Prepare Bowls for Baking
In a small bowl, prepare the egg wash by whisking together a small egg with 2 tablespoons water.
Uncover the dough. Using a pastry brush, brush each ball with egg wash. Then sprinkle each with sesame seeds or Everything Bagel Topping.
To make the transfer easier, use kitchen shears to cut the parchment paper into squares for each of the dough balls. With a pizza peel, transfer each square to the baking stone to cook. Bake four bowls at a time until the rolls are nicely browned on top, approximately 20-24 minutes.
Transfer bread bowls to wire racks to cool completely. This recipe will make 8 bread loaves.
To use the bowls, when ready to serve, cut tops off and remove inside bread filling. You may use this on top of your bowls, or for later as Homemade Croutons.
I like to put Country Potato Soup or Shrimp Chowder with Bacon inside the bread bowls. Really any creamy soup would work well. This recipe works well for an intimate dinner for two, or a simple holiday dinner for the entire family. The choice is yours.
See more Sourdough Recipes Here. Browse Ideas for Soup Here.
Sourdough Bread Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough starter that has been "fed"
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 5 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast optional
- 1/4 cup warm water optional, as needed
- 1 small egg + 2 tablespoons water for egg wash
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds or Everything Bagel Topping
Instructions
- To begin, gather all the ingredients and have them close by on the counter or table, ready to use.
Prepare the Starter
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, water, and 3 cups of all-purpose flour. Beat vigorously with dough whisk for 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Refrigerate overnight.
Make the Dough (Second Day)
- The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature, about an hour.
- In a large mixing bowl using a kneading hook attachment, combine the starter mixture with the remaining 2 cups all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and optional instant yeast. Begin mixing at a low speed, adding up to 1/4 cup of water as needed to make a smooth dough. Adding water may, or may not be necessary. Continue kneading for 5-7 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled. (This may take 2-3 hours).
- If you have opted not to use the instant yeast, you may remove the dough at each hour interval to stretch and fold, envelope-style to work the gluten in the dough. The dough will most likely be sticky. Use a stainless bench scraper to lift the dough from the work space more easily.
Form the Dough into Bowls
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees along with a baking stone. Place 2 sheets of parchment paper on a work surface and spray with baking spray. If you do not have a baking stone, you may use two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Once the dough has doubled, stretch and fold the dough, envelope-style, again using the bench scraper as needed.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, forming each into a ball. Place four balls on each sheet of parchment paper and cover with greased plastic wrap or a clean cotton tea towel. Allow the dough to rise for 40-60 minutes until puffy.
Prepare the Dough for Baking
- In a small bowl, prepare your egg wash by whisking together one small egg with 2 tablespoons water.
- Uncover the dough. Using a pastry brush, brush each ball with egg wash. Then sprinkle each with sesame seeds or Everything Bagel Topping.
- Using kitchen shears, cut parchment paper into squares for each of the dough balls. With a pizza peel, transfer each square to the baking stone, four at a time. Bake until golden brown on top, approximately 20-24 minutes. Repeat baking procedure with the remaining bowls.
- Transfer bread bowls to wire racks to cool completely. This recipe will make 8 bread loaves.
Nutrition
This looks so delicious and yum my perfect kind of comfort meal!
We love soup bowls. Thanks for stopping by!
Mmm, this brings back fond memories of my years in San Francisco and the sourdough bread bowls there. How wonderful that you’ve shown how I could make my own. Looks like a great distracti-baking project!
Hi Beth! San Francisco Sourdough. Yum!
I am looking forward to finishing this recipe tomorrow, we can’t wait. My question is, I don’t have any instant yeast (but love the flavor it gives) can I use regular yeast of the same amount instead? I’ll let you know the results tomorrow night after dinner. Thank you in advance.
Hi Lynn. Great question. Yes, you may use an active dry yeast instead of the instant. Just be sure to follow the instructions for activating it. If your sourdough has been fed and is very active, you may make this without the added yeast, which is often how I will make this bread, unless I’m on a tight time schedule and need to be sure of a faster rise. I hope your bread bowls turn out for you. Please let me know how it goes!
Delicious flavor and texture! The only thing I would do different is make them a little bit larger. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread bowls! We really like having them, especially with potato soup.
Do I have to dissolve my active yeast in water or add it straight to the recipes. My bowls spread out a bit. How can I keep them looking like yours?
Hi Cindy, If you’re going to use yeast with this recipe, I recommend using instant yeast, as it will not add any extra water to your dough. But if your sourdough starter is nice and active (bubbly) you don’t even need to use yeast. Just perform the stretch and fold method about every 30-40 minutes to activate the natural yeast in the dough. If your bowls are spreading out, I’m guessing that there is too much liquid and that you need more flour for a nice firm dough. I hope this helps, but let me know if you have any more questions. Deborah