Bread Bowl Recipe - The Easy Way! · Chef Not Required... (2024)

FAQs

What is the best bowl to make bread in? ›

Wooden bowls have always been the preferred choice for bread-making because the heat generated by the yeast is retained in the wood, giving the dough an even rise—and because the bowl's high sides protect the dough from drafts.

Why Toasting Is The Best Bread Bowl Technique. Part of the appeal of bread bowls is the gradual disintegration of the bread into the soup; the key word here is "gradual." If the bread is too soft from the start, it will become soggy the moment you introduce your filling of choice into it.

When is comes to making bread bowls, we prefer a round crusty loaf of artisanal or sourdough bread. This shape is sometimes referred to as a boule, which comes from the French word for ball. We use boules to create bread bowls for French Onion Soup.

“Draping your dough with a kitchen towel is not a sufficient cover — your dough will dry out, forming a skin,” says Martin. “Use an airtight lid, bowl cover, or plastic wrap instead.” If you're doing a lot of bread baking, consider a lidded dough-rising bucket.

Crafted from the same artisan Sourdough bread used in the classic Bread Bowl, the Double Bread Bowl features a crunchy crust and chewy center that pairs perfectly with all Panera soups, from sweet Creamy Tomato to the cheesy goodness of Broccoli Cheddar.

The most common options are butter, shortening, and cooking oil, and olive oil is one of the best options. Oil in a refillable mister or a store-bought spray oil makes quick work of greasing the bowl.

The video is actually satire, and bakers don't hate bread bowls, but they may find it wasteful as turning a loaf into a bowl involves carving out a significant portion of the dough.

For serving, cut a large round out of the top of each bread bowl. Scoop out the center (save the center to dunk into soup!) and fill with soup.

Bread bowls can be used to serve chili, New England–style clam chowder, and other thick stews (often, but not always, with a cheese or cream base). Soups with thinner bases are not generally served in bread bowls, as the broth would make the bread get too soggy too quickly.

Tear bite-sized pieces of the bread bowl with your fingers.

Bread bowls are casual foods, so don't be afraid to use your fingers to eat the bread once you've finished most of the soup. Unfortunately, bread bowls don't keep well once you've filled them with soup, so eat as much of the bread as you want!

How to speed up proofing? ›

A Bowl of Steaming Water is the Key to Quickly Proofing Bread. In the winter, when your house and kitchen are at a crisp temperature and you need a warm spot for your dough to rise, create a makeshift “proof box” by placing a bowl of steaming water inside your oven alongside your bowl of dough.

Traditional Round Bowls

Round bowls, like our handcrafted spalted maple bowls in the photo above, are particularly well-suited for proofing when you're working with dough that benefits from minimal shaping and requires a consistent rise.

Most bread recipes have two rises, a first rise (also called bulk fermentation), and a second or final rise. You can chill your dough during either the first or second rise. Your yeast won't give you much love if it's asked to do both rises in the fridge, so it's best to do one or the other at room temperature.

The shape of a round bowl allows the dough to maintain a uniform structure during proofing, making it ideal for certain types of bread. For artisanal and rustic breads that rely on a more open crumb structure and irregular shape, a round bowl provides ample space for the dough to spread out naturally.

Wooden bowls were preferred as the wood held the heat generated by the fermentation of the yeast.

Allow dough to rise in a metal or glass bowl. They retain heat better than plastic bowls and you'll get a better rise. You can also run the bowl you're using under some hot water (and then dry it, then spray it with non-stick cooking spray for easy cleanup) before adding the dough so it will be nice and warm.

Glass mixing bowls are a popular choice for many bakers. They are transparent, so you can see what you're mixing, and they're also microwave safe. Glass bowls are also non-reactive, which means they won't absorb any flavours or odours from your ingredients.