Okay, you can have soup… my Seinfeld Soup Nazi came out there for a second lol. Yesterday here in Ohio it was chilly… in the low 40’s all day and it gets dark around 5:30pm… just the perfect weather to curl up with a hot and steamy bowl of soup! And what’s better than a bowl of soup? A bowl that you can eat! That’s right, a bread bowl (did your mouth just water? Mine did).
Usually I ask hubby to stop by Panera Bread on his way home from work to pick up 3-4 bread bowls, they’re fairly inexpensive, yesterday I was feeling ambitious. I started thinking about what a bread bowl actually is…. it’s a round ball of crusty bread, then you cut the top off and scoop out the insides. Once my brain starts deconstructing food, I know where it’s going to end up, I’m going to think, “I bet I could make that”. So I checked to make sure I had some yeast packets, and I did, so I was off to the races, looking up bread bowl recipes online. There are a ton out there! I found one HERE But I wanted to change it up a bit, (don’t I always?) so I’ll post my recipe below, just wanted to give credit where credit is due 🙂

Using your paddle attachment on your mixer (or large rubber spatula), mix in your salt, garlic powder, italian seasoning, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix until a doughy consistency has formed. Now add in your remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well in between additions. I had to use all my remaining flour, but you may not. Just watch that your dough looks tacky, but not overly sticky.

If you’re not using a stand mixer, you would turn out your dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 6 minutes or so until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Lightly oil (I use cooking spray) a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, turn to coat in the oil, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and place in a warm spot in your kitchen to rise for 40 minutes or until doubled in size. For me, my warm spot in my kitchen is my microwave, yours may be different. I’ve heard that if your kitchen is drafty, you can fill a bowl with boiling water and place the bowl and your bowl of covered dough in the oven (oven off). The steam from the hot water will create a good environment for your dough to rise. I may try this trick next time 🙂

So for 40 minutes you can just relax for a little bit. I usually clean up, then hop on facebook or run some laundry. When it’s been 40 minutes, go check your dough, it should look like this…
Now is a fun part… remove dough from the bowl, place it on a lightly floured surface, and you get to punch the dough down. Literally. Punch it a couple times. Feels good doesn’t it? Hehe. Okay, after you’ve punched it down, divide into 4 equal portions. Take each section and form into a ball. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or grease it), and sprinkle with your cornmeal. Place the balls of dough onto the baking sheet, cover, and let rise again, for about 35 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Beat your egg white with water until frothy. Bake your rolls for 15 minutes, then brush with the egg wash mixture. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown on top. Cool on wire racks.

To make them into bowls, simply cut about 1/2″ off the tops of the rolls, scoop out most of the insides, and ta-da… a bread bowl! Don’t toss those insides, either use for dipping or put into a ziploc bag and save to make breadcrumbs later 🙂
Now that the bowls are done, we need some soup to put in them! I decided on broccoli cheese soup…. yum! I found a recipe I wanted to start with HERE but of course, I added my own zing to it.

Slowly whisk in the half and half and chicken stock. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes. If you don’t have half and half or wanted to try regular milk, I think that would probably work too.
Add the broccoli, carrots, and onions. Let them simmer on medium low for about 25 minutes until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
Add paprika, garlic powder ground dry mustard, salt and pepper and sharp cheddar cheese.
Let the cheese melt. If you like a smoother soup, transfer to food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy your soup!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 oz pkg active dry yeast .25
- 1 1/4 cups warm water think warm bath water temperature
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 Tbsp cornmeal
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tbsp water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if making by hand), add your warm water, sugar,
- and yeast. Stir to combine and let sit for 10 minutes. This is called proofing the yeast. It
- should start looking foamy and smell "yeasty".
- Using your paddle attachment on your mixer (or large rubber spatula), mix in your salt, garlic
- powder, Italian seasoning, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix until a doughy consistency has formed.
- Now add in your remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well in between additions. I had to
- use all my remaining flour, but you may not. Just watch that your dough looks tacky, but not
- overly sticky.
- At this point, turn off the mixer and switch to a dough hook. Mix on medium speed for 4-6
- minutes. This is kneading the dough. It will spiral and pull away from the sides of the bowl,
- kind of slapping around hitting the sides as it kneads/mixes. It will look smooth and elastic
- when you are finished.
- If you're not using a stand mixer, you would turn out your dough onto a floured surface and
- knead by hand for 6 minutes or so until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Lightly oil (I use cooking spray) a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, turn to coat in the
- oil, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and place in a warm spot in your kitchen to rise for 40
- minutes or until doubled in size.
- Remove dough from the bowl, place it on a lightly floured surface, and punch the dough
- down. Literally. Punch it a couple times.
- Divide into 4 equal portions. Take each section and form into a ball. Line a baking sheet with
- parchment paper (or grease it), and sprinkle with your cornmeal. Place the balls of dough
- onto the baking sheet, cover, and let rise again, for about 35 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Beat your egg white with water until frothy. Bake your rolls
- for 15 minutes, then brush with the egg wash mixture. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until
- golden brown on top. Cool on wire racks.
- To make them into bowls, simply cut about 1/2" off the tops of the rolls, and scoop out most
- of the insides.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh broccoli chopped
- 1 cup carrot chopped
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt 1 Tbsp of butter over medium heat, saute the onion and set aside. Add 1/4 cup butter,
- melt, then add 1/4 cup of flour and whisk together over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the half and half and chicken stock. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes. If you
- don't have half and half or wanted to try regular milk, I think that would probably work too.
- Add the broccoli, carrots, and sauteed onions. Let them simmer on medium low for about 25
- minutes until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
- Add paprika, garlic powder ground dry mustard, salt and pepper and sharp cheddar cheese.
- Stir until cheese is melted.
- If you like a smoother soup, transfer to food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Josh Batcher says
They were so good hun.. And the soup was amazing as well!!
MyAdventuresInDinnerTime says
Thank you sweetheart! ❤
Julie is HostessAtHeart says
You are a culinary rock star! My hubby will offer to dust after I serve him this 🙂 !
MyAdventuresInDinnerTime says
You are so sweet! Thank you! Lol, hey anything that gets you out of dusting, it’s well worth it!
Steve says
I usually have to go to the Renaissance festival for this!!! That is so totally awesome!
MyAdventuresInDinnerTime says
Thank you!! Just need a giant turkey leg next to it 😉
ohiocook says
Bread bowls are always good!
MyAdventuresInDinnerTime says
Definitely!!
Marsha says
Wow, you went all out here. I have made bread bowls before but never seen it done this way. They look awesome and I bet it tasted the same. Josh should be proud of you, I know we are
MyAdventuresInDinnerTime says
Thank you Mom!! They came out pretty good 🙂