Homemade Bread Bowls
We all love fresh baked bread but it can get a bit boring eating the same thing day after day. Sometimes we just need to freshen up a dish by making it a little extra special. A great way to do that for dishes such as soups and stews is to serve it in fresh, crusty, homemade bread bowls!
This idea was my husband’s and I wasn’t sure I could pull it off without it soaking through into a sopping mess. Thankfully it turned out amazing on the first try and the kids loved them and thought it was such a fun way to eat supper.
I made these homemade bread bowls to pair with crock pot venison stew. I did put in an extra effort to make sure the stew had a really thick gravy to prevent soaking through but they stayed nice and crusty through the whole meal no problem!
This recipe makes really huge bread bowls! I think it would make 8 good sized bread bowls very easily if you don‘t need one quite so big. We had enough left for supper the following night and they were just as amazing on the second day. One thing that I added as an optional step was to add a pan of hot water onto the bottom rack of the oven. I read that the steam will help make that really nice crust I was looking for and I sure got it!
Homemade Bread Bowl Recipe
2 ½ cups warm water
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 packets of instant yeast
6 cups all purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons of salt
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons water
In a large bowl, combine warm water, sugar and yeast and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix together the salt and flour.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the water mixture, a little at a time until combined.
Once the flour has all been incorporated, add the 4 Tbsp of olive oil and mix well.
Grease a bowl with the remaining olive oil and place the dough in the centre of the bowl, turning a few times to coat in the oil.
Cover bowl and let rise for an hour in a warm place.
Punch down dough and then turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes.
Cut into 6 equal sections.
Work each section into a ball, making a smooth top. Pinch together the bottom of the ball to help keep the dough taught.
Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Cover dough again and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together the egg whites and remaining water and then brush over the tops of the bread bowls.
Score the tops of the dough with a serrated knife.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400 for 25 min or until nicely browned.
Once baked to your liking, set on a rack until cool enough to handle.
Cut a circle out of the top of your bread bowl.
Use a fork to dig out some of the bread from the centre, being careful not to make holes in the sides of your bowl.
Fill your homemade bread bowls with filling of your choice and enjoy! Our Venison Stew goes great with these bread bowls.
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