Sourdough Bread Bowls [perfect for soups and stews]

This sourdough bread bowl recipe is a fun way to serve soups, stews, chowders and dips! You can make as many sourdough bread bowls as you need by multiplying the recipe, which means you can make just two, or enough to feed a crowd! These round sourdough bread bowls feature a robust golden brown crust that’s strong enough to hold hot soup.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

• Fun Way To Serve Soup – Your family and friends will love homemade sourdough bread bowls – they’re just so much fun! But you don’t just have to serve soup, you can use them for stews, chowders and dips too! 
• Perfection Not Necessary – I think the best thing about making sourdough bread bowls is that they don’t have to be perfect! Because you are cutting the top and middle out of the loaves, you don’t have to score them perfectly (that bit will be cut off and eaten with the soup!). And remember, the more craggly, crunchy bits … the better!
• Tried and Tested Recipe – These sourdough soup bowls have been created from my small batch sourdough bread recipe and has been made thousands of times, not just in my kitchen, but sourdough kitchens around the world!

Ingredients

• Sourdough Starter – You’ll need to use an active sourdough starter to create these sourdough bread bowls.
• Water
• Bread Flour – It’s best to use bread flour because it has a much higher protein content than all-purpose flour and will give you a better rise and crust to your bread bowls. Read more about bread flour vs all purpose flour .
• Salt

How To Make Sourdough Bread Bowls

Making sourdough bread bowls is a fairly straight forward process, particularly if you have made a few loaves of sourdough bread before. This recipe is for 2 sourdough bread bowls. Depending on how comfortable you are in dividing dough after bulk fermentation, you could choose to make the whole batch as one dough, or divide it into two smaller bowls if you prefer – it’s up to you! To make more than 2 sourdough bread bowls, simply multiply the recipe (ie for 4 bread bowls, double the recipe). There’s a button on the recipe card below to help you do this easily. I highly recommend a good quality kitchen scale to ensure accuracy in this sourdough recipe.

Fermentolyse – Premixing The Dough

Weigh out your sourdough starter and water into a large mixing bowl. Mix the water and starter together briefly. Then add your flour and salt and mix whole lot together to form a shaggy dough. Cover your bowl with an elastic food cover and let it sit for around 1 hour. It’s ok if it’s a little bit longer, it’s not going to matter too much.

After the dough has been through fermentolyse you need to bring it together into a ball. Work your way around the bowl, grabbing the dough from the outside, stretching it up and over itself, into the centre, until a smoother dough ball is formed. Pop the cover back on and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Stretches & Folds 

Over the next few hours you need to create some structure for your dough by “stretching and folding”. Aim to do around 4-6 sets of stretches and folds. For each set, stretch the dough up and over itself 4 times. Leave around 15 minutes in between each set. Again you do not have to be exact with time, but you need to do at least 4 sets over 2 hours.

Once you’ve finished your stretch and folds, cover the dough with plastic wrap or an elastic food cover and allow the dough to double at room temperature (bulk fermentation). Remember if your home is cold, it’s best to seek out a warm spot for your dough.

Shaping Sourdough Bread Bowls

Once your dough has finished its first ferment, it’s time to shape your sourdough bread bowls. I don’t use flour when shaping my sourdough, but if you want to use some flour, I recommend a little rice flour or semolina. Just remember you want a lightly floured work surface, so don’t be too heavy handed with the flour here!

Ease the dough out of the bowl, so it lands upside down on your counter. The smooth top of the dough should be on the countertop and the sticky underside should be facing up. This will make it easier to shape. Divide the dough into two equal portions using a dough scraper (I weigh my dough to get them perfectly even, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Each piece of dough will be approx. 480 grams).

Take each piece of dough and bring the edges into the middle, forming a rough ball. Gently flip the dough over and then use the sticky side of the dough to tension it and form a perfect ball (it’s just like shaping a mini boule).

Placing Into A Proofing Container

Once the dough is shaped into a tight ball, place it into your proofing basket or container seam side up, stitching the base together if you need to. For this recipe, I’ve used two ricotta baskets and they worked really well – but you could use cereal bowls, small mixing bowls or whatever you have on hand. Cover the dough and place it into the fridge for the cold ferment.

There are lots of things you can use as a proofing basket for these smaller sourdough bread bowls. You just need to have a look around the kitchen to see what you have on hand:

• ricotta baskets (the ones I use are 6-inches/16cm)
• cereal bowls
• soup bowls
• small mixing bowls

If you are making these sourdough soup bowls more often, you might like to invest in a set of smaller banneton baskets. I recommend these 6″ banneton baskets.

Bake Your Sourdough Bread Bowls

You can bake these sourdough bread bowls a number of different ways. If you have a Dutch Oven large enough to bake two at time, that’s a great option. Otherwise, you can do an open bake on a large baking tray (depending on how many you are baking at time). I’ve added instructions for both methods below.

Bake Bread Bowls With A Dutch Oven

Carefully take your dutch oven out of the oven. Place the bread bowls into the pot using the silicone sling or parchment paper as a handle. Put the lid on and place into the hot oven.

BAKE TIME:
30 Minutes with the lid on at 230ºC/450ºF plus
10-15 Minutes with the lid off at 210ºC/410ºF

Bake Bread Bowls Without A Dutch Oven

One of the best ways to bake sourdough without a Dutch Oven is to use a baking stone. A baking stone or pizza stone is best use when preheated inside the oven when you turn the oven on. Alternatively, you can just bake your sourdough bread bowls on a baking sheet.

When your oven is at temperature, take your sourdough out of the fridge. Gently place your dough onto a bread peel. This makes it easy to transfer your sourdough bread bowls onto the hot baking stone inside your oven.

Gently score your bread with a clean razor blade or knife. It doesn’t have to be perfect as you’ll cut that piece off when you hollow out the loaves after baking. Place your dough into the oven.

BAKE TIME:
 20 minutes at 230ºC/450ºF plus
 25 to 30 minutes at 210ºC/410ºF

Carefully remove your sourdough bread bowls from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool. Don’t attempt to hollow them out until they are completely cool or you’ll get a gummy centre, not to mention it’s so much harder to cut them when they’re hot!

Cutting The Sourdough Bread Bowls

You’ll need a small, sharp knife to cut the top out of the sourdough bread. I find it easier not to use a serrated knife for this part. Once you’ve cut a neat circle, take the top off the loaf and set aside (this is great to dip into soup). Then use your fingers to hollow out the dough to form the “bowl”. You can toast the dough chunks to use as sourdough croutons!

What To Serve In Sourdough Soup Bowls

My family’s favorite soup is pumpkin – topped with lots of sour cream and crispy bacon. And it’s much more fun when you can eat the bowl too! Thicker soups work better than thinner soups in sourdough bread bowls. If the soup is too thin, it will leach into the bread too quickly and make it soggy. Some other ideas for soups and stews to serve in your sourdough bread bowls are:

• Clam chowder: This classic New England soup is a popular choice for serving in a bread bowl. The creamy, savory soup pairs perfectly with the crusty bread.
• Chili: Thick and hearty chili is another great option for a bread bowl. The bread absorbs the flavors of the chili and adds a nice texture contrast.Broccoli cheddar soup: This creamy soup with chunks of broccoli and melted cheddar cheese is a favorite for many. Serving it in a bread bowl makes it even more delicious.
• French onion soup: This soup, made with caramelized onions and topped with a layer of melted cheese, is a popular choice for serving in a bread bowl. The bread soaks up the savory broth and adds a satisfying crunch.
• Tomato soup: This classic soup is simple yet satisfying, and serving it in a bread bowl adds an extra dimension of flavor and texture.
• Spinach and artichoke dip: This creamy and cheesy dip is perfect for scooping up with bread, and serving it in a bread bowl takes it to the next level.
• Beef stew: Hearty and comforting beef stew is a great option for a bread bowl. The bread soaks up the flavorful broth and adds a nice crunch. We love this sourdough Irish beef and Guinness stew.
• Taco soup: This spicy soup made with ground beef, beans, and Mexican spices is a great choice for a bread bowl. The bread soaks up the flavors and adds a nice texture contrast.

Frequently Asked Questions

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