Notes: These are for holding soups or other recipes. Picture below is the bread bowl with Bread Bowl Beef and Gravy. Make sure to LIGHTLY toast them under your oven's broiler for a minute or two, so they don't get too soggy from soups, etc.
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3 cups warm water
1 & 1/2 Tbsp or 2 packets or dry yeast 2 Tbsps +1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided 1 Tbsp salt 4 Tbsps butter, melted and cooled a bit - it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast! 7 to 9 cups all-purpose flour, divided 1 tablespoon milk or water 1 egg |
- Put water, yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Stir gently. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes or so.
- In a mixing bowl, put: melted butter, salt, 2 Tbsp sugar, and yeast mixture. Stir in 3 & 1/2 cups of flour. Keep adding the rest of the flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition. Stir until the dough starts to form a shape and pulls away from bowl sides.
- Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. You can knead by hand on a floured surface or knead in your stand mixer. (I always use the stand mixer; I’m lazy.) If the dough is too skicky, add a little bit of flour until it’s not to dry, but not sticky. After adding more flour, knead another 2 minutes.
- Butter or oil the bottom and sides of a large bowl and put the dough in it. Cover with a dish cloth and set in a warm spot until it rises to double. (usually about 35-40 minutes)
- Divide dough into 6 or 8 pieces, depending on what size bowls you want. Shape the pieces into balls and put them on a cookie sheet that you have greased or lilned with baking paper. With a greased knife, make an “X” on top of each dough ball.
- Beat the egg and milk or water together with a fork. Brush a bit on top of each ball.
- Cover the rolls gently with plastic wrap or waxed paper and let rise until they are doubled again. About 35 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake bread for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool it at least half an hour before cutting and gutting for bread bowls.
- Carefully slice off the tops. Cut only about 1/4 or less down the loaf. You don't want them to be too shallow. You can reserve the top to put on before serving. (fancy!)
- Scoop out the insides of the bread, but make sure you don't get too thin anywhere. You want to have some bread to eat on as you go!
- Save the innards for breadcrumbs! You can freeze them.
- IMPORTANT! Lightly toast the bread bowls under your oven's broiler for a minute or so. Don't let them burn. The toasting helps them to keep their shape and not get too mushy when filled with soup, etc.
