Made with just five simple ingredients, this easy Bread Bowl Recipe is perfect for beginning bakers. Nothing makes dinner feel special like edible bowls you can eat when the soup is gone.
You can shape these bowls larger or smaller to suit your meal. They’re ideal for thick, creamy soups such as broccoli cheddar or clam chowder.
Elevate your soup with homemade bread bowls!
When the weather cools down, soup becomes a regular dinner option at my house. I often serve rolls, but bread bowls add a fun, rustic touch that everyone enjoys. They’re warm, comforting, and best of all, the bowl is part of the meal.
If you’ve never made bread bowls before, this recipe is straightforward and forgiving. You don’t need special skills—just basic yeast-bread techniques.
Bread bowls work best with creamy, chunky soups like bacon corn chowder or cheese soup. Thin, clear broths tend to soak through the bread and make it soggy, so save those for bowls and rolls rather than hollowed-out loaves.
We also like using these bowls for recipes like Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls—rich fillings hold up well and taste great with fresh bread.
HOW TO MAKE EASY BREAD BOWLS
- DOUGH – Dissolve the instant yeast in warm water (about 110°F). In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, add the salt, oil, and roughly half of the flour. Mix until smooth, then add more flour until you have a soft, non-sticky dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth.
Knead until elastic and smooth, about 3 minutes by hand or a few minutes with a dough hook. - REST – Place the dough in a large bowl lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Cover and let it rest for about 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
- FORM – Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each piece into a tight ball. Place the dough balls on a greased baking sheet lightly sprinkled with cornmeal to prevent sticking.
- RISE – Cover the tray and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 400°F. Just before baking, use a serrated knife to make a few shallow slashes across the tops for a classic look.
- BAKE – Bake at 400°F for 15–18 minutes, or until the bread is cooked through and golden brown. For extra flavor, brush the tops with melted butter right after they come out of the oven.
- HOLLOW – Allow the loaves to cool until they’re safe to handle, about 15–20 minutes. Cut a large circle from the top of each loaf, like carving a small pumpkin, and scoop out the soft interior, leaving about a 1/2-inch shell. Save the removed bread for dipping — it’s delicious warm.
- SERVE – Ladle hot soup into each bread bowl and serve immediately. Thick, creamy soups hold up best and make the most satisfying bowls.
PRO TIPS:
- Water temperature matters: aim for about 110°F. Water hotter than ~130°F can kill yeast. If your water is a bit cool, the dough will simply take longer to rise.
- If your kitchen is cold and the dough is slow to rise, place the covered bowl in a turned-off oven that has been preheated to its lowest setting (around 150°F), or set the bowl in the oven with a pot of boiling water to create a warm, steamy environment.
- Make sure to use thicker soups in bread bowls. Broth-based soups will soften the bread quickly and make it soggy.
VARIATIONS:
- Substitute half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor and slightly denser texture.
- If using regular active dry yeast instead of instant, bloom the yeast in warm water with a brief 10–15 minute rest before adding other ingredients. Allow the dough an extra rise time before forming balls.
- For a shinier, crisper crust, brush the tops with an egg wash after the final rise and before baking.
Here are a few of our favorite soups to serve in bread bowls:
- Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta
- Clam Chowder
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Soup
- Velveeta Cheese Soup
- Wild Rice Ham Soup
- Cajun Potato Soup
Easy Bread Bowl Recipe
Kara
1 hr
18 mins
1 hr 18 mins
Bread: Yeast Bread
American
6 bread bowls
574 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp instant yeast (such as SAF)
- 2 ½ cups warm water about 110–115°F
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
- 7 cups all-purpose flour more or less as needed
- 1 tsp cornmeal optional, for the baking sheet
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, oil, and about 3 cups of flour. Mix until smooth.
- Add more of the remaining flour as needed until a soft dough forms. Knead about 3 minutes on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray and sprinkling with cornmeal.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each into a tight ball. Place the balls on the prepared pan.
- Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 40 minutes. Optionally, make shallow slashes across the tops with a sharp knife.
- Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 15–18 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool for 15–20 minutes. Cut a large round from the top of each loaf and scoop out the center, leaving a 1/2″ shell. Save the scraps for dipping. Fill each bowl with your favorite hot soup.
Notes
- There’s no typo: this dough does not require sugar.
- If the water is too hot it can kill the yeast. Cooler water will simply make the rise take longer.
- Creamy and chunky soups work best in bread bowls; thin, broth-based soups tend to make the bread soggy.
- Bread bowls can be made a day or two ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container or bag.
- This recipe was adapted from a classic yeast-bread method.
Nutrition
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These easy homemade bread bowls add charm to any meal and save money compared with store-bought options. With a little practice you’ll be shaping bowls for every soup night.