How to make a delicious Bread Bowl for soup

 

 

 This recipe was adapted from my "French bread in a flash" found here.

If you are a beginner to bread making, this is the perfect recipe to try, especially if you have a stand mixer because you don't even have to knead the dough. Its fast and rewarding.

Here's how I did it...

 

Recipe: Homemade Bread bowls
Recipe source: Emmy in her Element
 

1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon shortening
1 cup cold water
 3 cups all purpose flour

3 cups bread flour (bread flour has higher gluten content to make for more chewy bread)
 1 egg

 

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees.

 

Next, pour 1 cup of water into a cup and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes so the water is boiling.

 

Fill another cup with 1/3 cup warm water. Add 1 tablespoon of yeast in the water. Sprinkle in a pinch of sugar (this helps the yeast foam) and stir quickly with a butter knife. Set a towel over the glass and let the yeast start activating.

 

Pour the sugar, salt and shortening into the bowl of your stand mixer. Mash these ingredients together with a fork that way the Crisco wont stay in little chunks, they will blend with the sugar.

 

Pour the 1 cup of boiling water over the shortening mixture in the stand mixer. Add the 1 cup of cold water into the mixer. Then pour in the yeast mix (use a spoon to get all of it out of the cup).

 

Add 3 cups of the all purpose flour into the mixer and turn mixer on low speed. Once this is blended, swap your mixer to your dough hook. Slowly add in the remaining 3 cups of bread flour, 1 cup at a time. Once all 6 cups are in, turn speed to medium and let the dough mix for 6-8 minutes. At this point, you should be able to stick your finger on the dough and it will feel elastic and not too sticky. If it is, add 1/4 cup more flour until it is easier to handle and comes off your finger when you touch it. DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH FLOUR or your bread will be dense and dry.

Once the dough is mixed, let it rest in the bowl for 5 minutes.

 

Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray. After the dough has rested in the bowl, dump it onto the greased cookie sheet. Form it with your hands into an oval shape.

Take a sharp knife, spray it with non-stick spray, and cut dough into 3 equal pieces.

 

 Then let it rest again for 5 minutes.

 

The resting periods are a very important and needed to let the yeast start helping the dough rise and become softer and airy so you end up with chewy delicious bread.

 

 

Now cut the three pieces in half and make six. LET THE DOUGH REST FOR 5 MINUTES.

 

 

 Next, move three of your mini loaves onto a second cookie sheet. This will make the dough shaping process much easier.

Now take one of the dough balls and flatten it out into a large oval/rectangle with your fingers. Because you let the dough rest, this part will be very easy. no rolling pin needed.

 

Now fold the top side half way down.

 

 

And the bottom side up over that half. It should look like a little burrito now.

Now gently and quickly roll from the left to the right like a cinnamon roll.

 

and keep rolling...

 

With greased hands, pick up your dough roll and gently pull the seems down underneath the roll. form it into a ball so it is smooth while keeping it in rolled up form.

 

 

Brush a beaten egg over the tops of each loaf.  Place the loaves into the 170 degree F preheated oven and let them "rise" for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes turn oven up to 400 degrees F. You want to keep it nice and warm in there. Let the loaves bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden. Now turn the oven down to 350 degrees and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

 

Remove  the loaves from the oven and place them on a cooling rack.

 

 

After they have cooled completely, take a sharp knife and cut a circle (at an angle) around the top and about three quarters depth of the loaf.

  

Pop the top out and add butter to it. It will make a nice little side "roll" with your soup.

 

You are ready to add your creamy soup! Want my recipe for delicious broccoli cheese medley?

You can find it here.

 

 

  This is such a fun recipe to make for family and guests. It adds a little bit of interaction during dinner.  Plus, who doesn't like to eat fresh bread covered in delicious warm soup!?