When I was growing up, my mom liked to make soup, stew, and chili extra special by serving them in bread bowls. It made eating that much more fun for us kids, and mom loved that it cut down on dishes! 😉 When I started working on my Sarah Plain and Tall menu, it became clear to me early on that a nice hearty stew would be my entree. I’ve made a variety of soups, stews, and chowders here on the blog before, so when I tried to think of a way to make this one special, my mind immediately went to bread bowls. They get major nostalgia points from me, and they just contribute so well to the rustic prairie feel I wanted to create for this menu.
Store-bought bread bowls are great if you’re short on time (we always used the Panera sour dough rolls when I was a kid), but making your own can be lots of fun. I tracked down this quick recipe from Taste of Home, and it turned out great! The bread tastes delicious when you fill it with stew or thick soup, but I enjoy it sliced up with a spread of homemade farmer’s cheese too!
A
Homemade Bread Bowls
“What did I look like when I was born?”
“You didn’t have any clothes on,” I told him.
“I know that,” he said.
“You looked like this,” I held the bread dough up in a round, pale ball.
“I had hair,” said Caleb seriously.
“Not enough to talk about,” I said.
— Sarah Plain and Tall
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tbsp active dry yeast
- 3 cups warm water
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 6 1/2 – 7 1/2 cups flour, separated
Makes 6 bread bowls
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Dissolve yeast in the warm water for 5 minutes. In the bowl of a standing mixer, stir together the sugar, salt, and 3 cups of the flour. When the 5 minutes are up, add the water and yeast to the mixer and beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to create a soft dough (it will be sticky). Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place in a large, greased bowl and turn the dough once to grease the top. Place plastic wrap over the top and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. While you wait, preheat the oven to 500°.
- Punch down the dough and divide evenly into 6 portions and shape into balls. Try not to work the balls more than necessary, since this can result in a flatter bowl. Place the balls 3″ apart on the parchment-lined baking sheets and cover with clean kitchen towels. Allow to rise for 15 minutes. Use kitchen scissors to cut an “X” in the top of each ball. The original recipe calls for misting them with water at this point to create a brown crust. I tried this, but I think a regular egg was would give you richer color and shine (that’s what I plan on doing in the future).
- Bake for 2 minutes, then turn the heat down to 425°. Bake for 16 minutes, flipping and rotating the pans halfway through. When finished, the bowls should be light brown on top and sound hollow when you tap the bottom.
- Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve with a hearty homemade stew or soup!
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