There’s something wonderfully comforting about eating soup from an edible bowl that’s crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. Pub-style bread bowls are those golden, round loaves you see at cozy restaurants, perfectly hollowed out and filled with steaming chowder or hearty stew. The best part is that making them at home is easier than you might think, and your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible while they bake. These bread bowls have a sturdy crust that holds up to even the thickest soups without getting soggy, while the inside remains tender and perfect for tearing off pieces to dip. Once you master this recipe, you’ll never want to serve soup in a regular bowl again.
This recipe makes six generous bread bowls and takes about three and a half hours from start to finish, including rising time. Each bread bowl contains approximately 320 calories, making them a satisfying vessel for your favorite soups and stews.
1. Ingredients
- Warm water – 2 cups (around 110 degrees)
- Active dry yeast – 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet)
- Granulated sugar – 2 tablespoons
- All-purpose flour – 5 and 1/2 cups (plus extra for dusting)
- Salt – 2 teaspoons
- Vegetable oil – 3 tablespoons
- Egg – 1 large (for egg wash)
- Water – 1 tablespoon (for egg wash)
2. Activate the Yeast
Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top. The water should feel comfortably warm on your wrist, not hot, because water that’s too hot will kill the yeast. Add the sugar and give it a gentle stir. Let this mixture sit for about five to ten minutes until it becomes foamy and bubbly on top. This foam tells you the yeast is alive and ready to work its magic. If nothing happens after ten minutes, your yeast might be old or your water might have been the wrong temperature, so you’ll need to start over with fresh yeast.
3. Mix the Dough
Add the vegetable oil and salt to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Begin adding the flour one cup at a time, stirring after each addition. After you’ve added about four cups of flour, the dough will start to come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. At this point, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and begin kneading. Add the remaining flour gradually as you knead, using just enough to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but not wet.
4. Knead the Dough
Knead the dough for about eight to ten minutes by pushing it away from you with the heels of your hands, folding it back over itself, giving it a quarter turn, and repeating. This process develops the gluten that gives the bread its structure and chewy texture. You’ll know the dough is ready when it becomes smooth and elastic, and when you poke it with your finger, it springs back slowly. If you’re using a stand mixer with a dough hook, knead on medium speed for about six minutes.
5. First Rise
Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside, turning it once so the top is coated with oil. This prevents the dough from drying out as it rises. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot away from drafts. Let the dough rise for about one and a half hours until it doubles in size. A good trick is to place the bowl in an oven that’s turned off with just the oven light on for gentle warmth. You can also test if the dough has risen enough by poking it with your finger. If the indentation stays, it’s ready.
6. Shape the Bread Bowls
Once the dough has doubled, punch it down to release the air bubbles. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into six equal pieces. To get evenly sized bowls, you can weigh the dough and divide by six. Shape each piece into a smooth ball by pulling the edges down and tucking them underneath, rotating as you go. The top should be perfectly smooth and tight. Place the shaped balls on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them at least three inches apart because they’ll expand as they rise.
7. Second Rise
Cover the shaped dough balls loosely with a kitchen towel and let them rise again for about 30 to 45 minutes. They should puff up noticeably but won’t quite double in size like the first rise. During this time, position your oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees. This second rise is important for achieving that light, airy texture inside the bread bowls.
8. Prepare the Egg Wash
While the dough is doing its second rise, whisk together the egg and one tablespoon of water in a small bowl until well combined. This egg wash will give your bread bowls that beautiful golden-brown, shiny crust that makes them look professionally baked. You can also add a pinch of salt to the egg wash for extra flavor.
9. Apply Egg Wash and Score
Just before baking, gently brush the top and sides of each dough ball with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Be careful not to deflate the dough or let the egg wash pool around the bottom. If you want an extra crispy crust, you can use a sharp knife or bread lame to score a shallow X or cross-hatch pattern on top of each bowl. This isn’t just decorative; it also helps the bread expand evenly as it bakes.
10. Bake to Golden Perfection
Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the bread bowls are deep golden brown and sound hollow when you tap the bottom. If you’re baking both sheets at once, rotate them halfway through baking so they brown evenly. The internal temperature should reach about 190 degrees if you want to be precise. Don’t underbake these or they’ll be doughy inside and won’t hold up to soup. Let the bread bowls cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before cutting into them.
11. Hollow Out the Bowls
Once the bread bowls are cool enough to handle but still warm, it’s time to create the bowl shape. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut a circle in the top of each loaf, about an inch from the edge. Cut at a slight angle pointing toward the center. Remove this lid and set it aside. Then gently pull out the soft bread from inside, leaving about half an inch of bread on the bottom and sides. You want the walls thick enough to hold soup without leaking but thin enough to be tender when you eat them. Save all that pulled-out bread for making breadcrumbs or croutons.
12. Serve Your Bread Bowls
Your bread bowls are now ready to be filled with your favorite soup. Clam chowder, broccoli cheddar, loaded baked potato soup, beef stew, and creamy tomato soup are all excellent choices. The bread should be sturdy enough to hold about one and a half to two cups of soup. If you’re not serving them immediately, you can toast the inside of the bowls for a few minutes in a 350-degree oven to make them even more resistant to soaking through. Place the lids back on top or serve them on the side for dipping.
13. Nutritional Information Per Bread Bowl
- Calories – 320
- Protein – 9 grams
- Total fat – 8 grams
- Saturated fat – 1 gram
- Carbohydrates – 54 grams
- Fiber – 2 grams
- Sugar – 4 grams
- Cholesterol – 30 milligrams
- Sodium – 390 milligrams
14. Helpful Tips
The temperature of your water is critical for yeast activation, so invest in an instant-read thermometer if you bake bread often. If your kitchen is cold, you can create a warm rising environment by heating your oven to the lowest setting for just one minute, turning it off, and then placing your dough inside. Always measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can pack too much flour and make your bread dense. If you want softer bread bowls, brush them with melted butter immediately after they come out of the oven. For a crunchier crust, place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of your oven while baking to create steam. You can make the dough ahead of time and let it do its first rise in the refrigerator overnight, which actually develops more flavor. Just bring it to room temperature before shaping. If you don’t need all six bread bowls at once, you can freeze the extras after baking and before hollowing them out. Just thaw, warm them in the oven, and hollow them out when you’re ready to use them. These bread bowls are best eaten the same day they’re baked, but they’ll stay fresh in an airtight container for up to two days. The key to success is not rushing the rising times, as this is what develops the flavor and texture that makes pub-style bread bowls so irresistible.
