Homemade Bread Bowls
Breadmaking probably seems impossible, but think of it this way: it’s one of the most basic foods. Just simple ingredients mixed together, left alone to work some magic, shaped, and baked. That’s the process and it’s 100% something you can handle.
Today I’m going to talk about the dough itself, convince you there’s nothing to fear, share the recipe, then walk you through step-by-step pictures so you can see the bread bowls come together. This is a priceless recipe that you can and will master.
Basic Bread Dough
These homemade bread bowls start with an ordinary bread dough. Dissolve the yeast in warm water to get things going. No need to activate the yeast– which is when you add a pinch of sugar to the warm liquid/yeast to ensure that the yeast is active or not. Modern yeast is most likely active and ready to go. Just check the expiration date on the package. (You’ll still use a bit of sugar in the dough itself, though… more on that next.) I highly recommend using a quality yeast like Red Star Yeast— it’s always my go-to brand for the best tasting breads!
Just 4 more ingredients: salt and olive oil for flavor, a bit of sugar to “feed” the yeast which creates carbon dioxide bubbles and allows the dough to rise, and bread flour. Bread flour contains a lot of protein which helps form a chewier, more dense, and, well, more bread-like… bread. (Technical terms!!) We want a strong and crusty bread for our bread bowls and bread flour will help us achieve that.
To give you the full picture, I use all-purpose flour when I’m making richer, softer, and more fluffy bread. Things like cinnamon rolls, butter rolls, doughnuts, and monkey bread. I typically use milk instead of water and I add additional fat like eggs and/or butter. More fat usually means the dough takes longer to rise. Today’s bread bowls are a particularly “lean” dough, so the rise time is quicker.
Ingredients
Directions
Test Kitchen Tips
Today I’m going to talk about the dough itself, convince you there’s nothing to fear, share the recipe, then walk you through step-by-step pictures so you can see the bread bowls come together. This is a priceless recipe that you can and will master.
Basic Bread Dough
These homemade bread bowls start with an ordinary bread dough. Dissolve the yeast in warm water to get things going. No need to activate the yeast– which is when you add a pinch of sugar to the warm liquid/yeast to ensure that the yeast is active or not. Modern yeast is most likely active and ready to go. Just check the expiration date on the package. (You’ll still use a bit of sugar in the dough itself, though… more on that next.) I highly recommend using a quality yeast like Red Star Yeast— it’s always my go-to brand for the best tasting breads!
Just 4 more ingredients: salt and olive oil for flavor, a bit of sugar to “feed” the yeast which creates carbon dioxide bubbles and allows the dough to rise, and bread flour. Bread flour contains a lot of protein which helps form a chewier, more dense, and, well, more bread-like… bread. (Technical terms!!) We want a strong and crusty bread for our bread bowls and bread flour will help us achieve that.
To give you the full picture, I use all-purpose flour when I’m making richer, softer, and more fluffy bread. Things like cinnamon rolls, butter rolls, doughnuts, and monkey bread. I typically use milk instead of water and I add additional fat like eggs and/or butter. More fat usually means the dough takes longer to rise. Today’s bread bowls are a particularly “lean” dough, so the rise time is quicker.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 3 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6-1/2 to 7-1/2 cups bread flour
- Cornmeal and sesame seeds, optional
Directions
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
- Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 500°. Punch dough down. Divide and shape into 6 balls. Place 3 in. apart on 2 baking sheets that have been generously sprinkled with cornmeal or greased. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 15 minutes. Spray loaves with water; if desired, generously sprinkle with sesame seeds. Using a sharp knife, score surface with shallow cuts in an X pattern. Bake 2 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 425°. Bake until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190°-200°. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
- Cut a thin slice off the top of bread. Hollow out bottom portion of loaf, leaving a 1/4-in. shell. Discard removed bread or save for another use, such as croutons.
Test Kitchen Tips
- To approximate that crackling crust you find on fancy artisanal breads, get steamy. A quick spritz of water into the oven or a light mist sprayed directly on the loaf right before baking should do the trick.
- Scoring the exterior of bread creates weak points that help prevent it from bursting and directs expansion to shape the loaf. And, hey, it looks really pretty to boot!
