Name: Easy Homemade Sourdough Bread Bowls
Prep time: 360 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 390 min
Ingredients: 3 cups warm water; 1 cup active sourdough starter; 7 cups all purpose or bread flour; 2 Tbsp salt

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This easy recipe for sourdough bread bowls is perfect for soups and stews in the wintertime. Anytime I serve soup in bread bowls, my family gets so excited because it looks like I went to a lot of extra effort. I get excited because it doesn’t take a lot of extra effort to make these, and because they’re made with sourdough, I know they are the healthiest option for my family.

creamy broccoli cheese soup in sourdough bread bowls

These homemade bread bowls can be made with or without a mixer, and can be made all in the same day, or long-fermented for a day or two in the refrigerator. And if you don’t end up using them all as bread bowls, you can just eat the rest of them like mini sourdough boules with butter and jam.

Because we raise most all of our own food and eat what we store up in our homestead pantry, we are mainly consuming storage crops like potatoes, carrots and squash in the winter. We also have a lot of canned vegetables, and all of these put together make the most delicious array of soups and stews. I also keep our favorite canned vegetable soup made of a mix of garden veggies on our pantry shelf for those times when I need a really quick meal. I like to serve bread alongside these wintertime soups because it is not only delicious, but adds some bulk to the meal so little tummies don’t hungry quite so fast. Serving soup in bread bowls is easy, and a fun way to add the bread to your meal during soup season.

Homemade Soups We Enjoy This Sourdough Bread Bowl Recipe

Broccoli cheese soup
Cowboy chili
French onion soup
Creamy sausage and sauerkraut soup
Baked potato soup
Chicken and noodle soup
Vegetable Soup
Tomato soup
Wild rice soup

broccoli cheese soup served in sourdough bread bowl

Making Sourdough Bread

When you make sourdough bread, you’re following in the footsteps of our ancestors as they making bread with sourdough was the only way they knew how to make bread. With just the simple ingredients they had available, like flour, water and salt, they made beautiful and life giving bread. In the old days and during simpler times, bread was considered the staff of life, and was a part of every meal.

Sourdough Flexibility

As I follow this traditional sourdough method of bread baking, I like to think of all the mothers and grandmothers during the homesteading days of this country who mixed up the daily loaf of bread before climbing aboard their covered wagon on their way to the homestead of their dreams. They may have given it a quick stretch and fold when they stopped for lunch, and by the time they pitched camp for the night, the bread was ready for baking. This hands-off, and flexible approach to bread making worked well for those women trying to keep their families fed while traveling to and building their homesteads. Homesteading was a lot of work, unpredictable and challenging in those days just the same as it can be today. Finding a simple and easy approach to making beautiful bread is what suits my busy homestead life today, and I think you’ll find that it’s flexibility suits your life as well.

You can mix up the dough for these bread bowls in the morning, or towards evening, depending on your schedule. Then the dough can be left in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days, and then pull out and baked in less than 30 minutes for a quick evening meal. Sourdough baking is much easier and more flexible than baking with commercial yeast. I’m here to help you learn how to make sourdough fit around the edges of your life.

What are the health benefits of sourdough?

Anytime you add a fermented element like sourdough to a recipe, it becomes more nutritious because it contains live probiotics and good bacteria that help with gut health and digestion. Gluten and phytic acid are naturally present in wheat, and are usually what is to blame for people not being able to digest gluten well. When the grain is fermented through the sourdough process, the gluten and phytic acid are broken down, making it easier to digest. A lot of people that struggle with gluten intolerance (not people with celiac), can digest food made with sourdough without any issue, especially if the recipe is allowed to sit out for a few hours and “long ferment”.

In addition, phytic acid is an anti-nutrient that blocks absorption of the nutrients found in wheat. During the sourdough fermentation process, the phytic acid gets broken down and the nutrients are more bio-available to the body. This is why baking with sourdough is so important for our health.

Why You’ll Love These Homemade Sourdough Bread Bowls

Easy – the process for making sourdough bread bowls is very similar to how you would make a round sourdough boule. Once you understand that process, these will be easy for you to make. To learn how I make my artisan sourdough bread, click here.
Flexible – these bread bowls can be mixed up by hand with a few stretch and folds, or you can put all the ingredients in your stand mixer and let it do the mixing for you. Mix them up in the morning or at night, depending on your schedule and when you’ll want to bake them.
Simple – made with just flour, water and salt, this classic sourdough bread dough has an amazing flavor and can be made with ingredients you have on hand.
Delicious – the chewy tangy sourdough soaked up with your favorite soup is the best part of these bread bowls. I enjoy the soup, but my favorite part is getting to eat the sides of the bread bowls where the soup soaked into the bread. Yum!

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Tips

These sourdough bread bowls bake up best on a pre-heated flat cast iron pan or pizza stone.
You’ll want to add boiling water to a separate pan in your oven to create a steam environment. This is necessary to help create a beautiful chewy crust on the sourdough bread bowls.
I rarely measure any ingredients with a scale, but if you are new to sourdough, you may want to do so until you get a feel for the dough. After you know what you’re doing, it’s easy to just measure in cups.
To make the hole in the middle of the bread bowl, I just use a bread knife and cut vertically around the edges of the bread bowl. Then I gently lift out the inside with a spoon.
I like to serve the middle of the bread bowl on the side and dip it into my soup. More of that delicious bread soaked in creamy soup…yum!
A bench scraper is helpful for dividing the dough into pieces before shaping the bread bowls.

Simple Ingredients

Flour – I like to use all-purpose or bread flour because it makes these bread bowls nice and fluffy. You can use up to 50% whole grain flour in these if you choose and they will still be fine. I like to get most of my flour from Azure Standard and my favorite is this bread flour.
Water – you’ll want to use warm water when making this recipe. Non-chlorinated water is best. If all you have is chlorinated tap water, just leave it out on the counter for a few hours and the chlorine will evaporate.
Salt – my favorite salt is always Redmond real salt which I get from Azure Standard.

Example of Timing For Making Sourdough Bread Bowls

Option 1

Before bed feed sourdough starter
8:00 a.m. the next morning mix ingredients
8:30 a.m. add salt and begin stretch and folds over 2-3 hours
11:00 a.m. bulk Ferment for 2-3 hours
2:00 p.m. put in refrigerator
5:00 p.m. shape and bake in time for supper

Option 2 (this would work great if you work away from the house all day)

7:00 a.m. Feed your sourdough starter
5:30 p.m. Mix your ingredients
5:45 p.m. Add salt and begin your stretch and folds every 15 minutes (since this will be a tigher timeline)
7:00 p.m. Bulk ferment on counter for 2 hours
9:00 p.m. Put into the refrigerator
6:00 a.m. Shape and Bake

Keys To Success

Thick active sourdough starter

If you have a weak or runny sourdough starter, you’re gonna have flat and sloppy dough. It’s really important to start with a strong and active starter. Learn how to make a healthy sourdough starter without using a scale here. When you’re preparing to make bread especially, be sure to mix your starter thickly – with more flour than water. You want your starter to have a thick pancake like consistency.

Create Good Internal Structure In Your Dough

Work with your dough every few minutes until it has good structure and holds it shape (see video below).

Don’t Overferment

Don’t overferment your dough. Try not to forget the dough sitting on the counter for more than 2-3 hours during the bulk fermentation time. If you overferment your dough it won’t hold it’s shape and will be a sloppy mess. If you get interrupted before the bulk ferment is done and need to leave, just put it in the refrigerator. You can always shape it after it’s been in the refrigerator. Once again, it’s very flexible, but try not to let it sit out on the counter until it ferments into a sloppy ball or it won’t raise much in the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Sourdough Starter?

Sourdough starter is a fermented mix of flour and water that has captured the wild yeast that is in your environment. It uses this yeast to raise your bread so you don’t have to purchase store bought yeast in order to make sourdough artisan bread. As long as you have access to flour, water and salt, you can make this traditional bread.

Can You Eat The Sourdough Bread Bowls?

Yes! The bread bowls aren’t just for holding the soup, they are for eating as well. I like to eat the soup out of the center and then tear the bread bowl into pieces and eat it. It’s my favorite part!

Are Panera Bread Bowls Made With Real Sourdough?

They probably have a sourdough component, but in their ingredients they list yeast, which means they are most likely not real long fermented sourdough. It’s much healthier and less expensive to just make your own.

How Do You Cut A Sourdough Bread Bowl?

Using a serrated knife, but around the top of the bowl vertically. Then gently scoop out the middle and add your soup or stew.

cutting centers out of sourdough bread bowls

Are Sourdough Bread Bowls Healthy?

Yes, sourdough bread bowls are healthier than bread bowls made with yeast because the phytic acid is broken down during the fermentation process. A lot of people that are gluten intolerant can eat long-fermented sourdough bread without any digestion issues. Sourdough bread also has a lower glycemic index than regular yeast bread and when eaten with a meal it actually lowers the glycemic level of the entire meal. This is really important for people that are diabetic. More information on the glycemic level of sourdough bread here.

What Is The Best Flour For Making Sourdough Bread Bowls?

The best flour to use is a bread flour with a protein content of at least 11-14%. My favorite flour for bread baking is from Azure Standard. However, you can make these bread bowls with whatever flour you have on hand. I’ve made these many times with bleached all purpose flour and they turn out just fine. If you plan to use whole wheat or whole grain flour, it’s best to make to use half whole grain and half all purpose flour.

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What Are Sourdough Bread Bowls?

They are small round sourdough boules with the centers cut out and then filled with a soup or stew.

sourdough bread bowls with centers cut out

How Long Will Sourdough Bread Bowls Keep?

Sourdough bread keeps a lot longer than regular yeast bread because of the fermentation process it goes through while being made. If you keep these bread bowls wrapped in a beeswax wrap or even in a plastic bag, they will keep on your counter for up to a week.

Can You Freeze Sourdough Bread Bowls?

Yes, you can freeze sourdough bread bowls. Just wrap it in plastic wrap or place it into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, set it out on the counter until it comes to room temperature. Can be reheated in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes for a fresh chewy sourdough texture.

How Can I Make Different Flavors of Sourdough Bread Bowls?

Making different flavors of sourdough bread bowls is very simple. You can easily add “inclusions” into the dough as you are mixing it or shaping it. Our favorites are jalapeno cheddar and rosemary garlic.

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Supplies You May Need

Large mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Danish Dough Whisk
Bench Scraper
Bread Lame Scoring Tool or Razor Blade
Parchment paper
Two Cast iron pizza pans or pizza stones
Pizza peel – for easily sliding the bread bowls into the oven
9 x 13 baking dish – for adding steam to the oven
Sweetwater electric tea kettle – for quickly heating the boiling water
Sharp serrated knife – for cutting out the insides of the bread bowl

How To Make Sourdough Bread Bowls

Feed Starter

Feed starter 4-12 hours before mixing up your dough

Mix Ingredients

In a large bowl, add water, active sourdough starter, and flour. Mix until it comes together into a shaggy dough. Leave it for 15-30 minutes to “autolyse”. This just means you’re giving the flour a chance to absorb the water and the starter.

Add the salt and “mix” into the dough with a circular motion similar to how a mixer would mix the dough (if you’re in a hurry you can mix in the salt when you first mix up the dough). Let sit for another 15-30 minutes.

adding salt to dough for sourdough bread bowls

Create Structure In Your Dough

Begin creating structure in your dough by doing a series of stretch and folds, coil folds and/or lamination every 15-30 minutes. You will know your dough has good structure when it holds its shape and starts getting some bubbles on top. Sometimes I only do 2-3 stretch and folds before letting it bulk ferment if I’m in a hurry, but if I have the time I try to also do 1-2 coil folds and one lamination.

stretch and folds on sourdough bread bowl dough

coil folds on sourdough bread bowl dough

Bulk Ferment

Cover bowl with a loose fitting lid like a plate and leave it in the bowl at room temperature for 2-3 hours to bulk ferment. It’s okay if your dough doesn’t puff up as much as mine did.

Cold Ferment

Place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator to do it’s cold ferment. This will help the dough to firm up and make it easier to shape and score.

Preheat Oven

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees with your cast iron or pizza stones in the oven.

Shape

Tear off two pieces of parchment paper at least the size of your baking stone. Turn dough out onto the counter. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal portions.

Shape the bread bowls by tucking the edges of each ball of dough underneath itself. Create surface tension on the ball by pushing it away from you and then pulling it back towards you several times. (See video). Place four bread bowls on each piece of parchment paper.

Score

Score the top of the dough about ¼” deep with a simple cross. This will encourage the bread bowls to expand upwards.

Bake

Place a 9” x 13” pan on the bottom rack of your hot oven. Pour some boiling water into pan to create steam in your oven. This will help to give your bread a crispy crust with a fluffy inside and will replicate dutch oven baking.

Using the pizza peel, quickly place the bread bowls that are on the parchment onto the pre-heated stones.

using pizza peel to add sourdough bread bowls to the oven

Reduce heat to 425 degrees and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

Can brush the tops with butter if desired.

Slice and Enjoy

Using a sharp knife cut a hole vertically around each bread bowl and gently lift out the insides of the bread bowls. Place bread bowls into individual serving bows and fill with your favorite soup or stew. The bread bowls can be frozen for up to 6 months.