Easy French Bread Bowls for Soup

You don't have to go all the way to Panera to enjoy your favorite soup in a bread bowl. With my step by step instructions I will show you how to make these easy bread bowls at home! You can eat hot soup as well as chili out of them! The best part is you can make them large or make them small!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredient Notes
• How to Make Step by Step Recipe Instructions
• Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
• What To Put In Bread Bowls...
• French Bread Bowls Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Eating soup out of a giant roll is awesome!
• Make 4 large (store bought size) OR 6 medium (cantaloupe size) OR 8 small (grapefruit size)
• Not more difficult to make than regular French Bread (which isn't hard either)

Ingredient Notes

• Flour - All purpose flour, not bread flour and never self rising flour.
• Olive Oil - Coconut oil, canola oil, or any other cooking oil may substituted for the olive oil.
• Yeast - This is dry activated yeast, or instant yeast.

How to Make Step by Step Recipe Instructions

• Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water in your mixing bowl. You will need a large bowl for this recipe. I use a 6 quart stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to make this bread, but it can be made by hand as well.
•  Let it sit for about 5 minutes to let the yeast get foamy.  

• Add the olive oil, salt and all 6 cups of flour.
• As you can see in picture 8 it looks like there is too much flour, but don't worry, it will all mix in.

• After all the flour is mixed in your dough should look like picture 9, a shaggy ball of dough that cleans the sides of the mixing bowl.
• Knead at a medium speed for 5 minutes, or by hand for 10 minutes.  The dough should end up like picture 10 and 11, very smooth, elastic-y and the sides of the bowl should be completely clean.
• Remove the dough hook and cover the bowl with a clean dish towel to rise. 
• Over the next hour, about every 10 minutes or so, knead the bread dough in the bowl about 3 times.  This is going to create that chewy french bread crust.  It doesn't have to be exactly every ten minutes, but you need to have kneaded the dough at least 4 times over that hour.
• After the hour just let the dough rise until doubled.  This should take about 30 minutes.

• Once the dough ball has doubled, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide dough into equal pieces.
• 4 Pieces for 4 large bread bowls about the same size after baking, as you buy from the store.
• 6 Pieces for 6 Medium bowls about the size of cantaloupes after baking.
• 8 Pieces for 8 Small bowls about the size of grapefruits (mini bread bowls) after baking.
• Shape each piece of dough into smooth round balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
• Cover to let the balls of dough rise until doubled.
• While the dough rises, place an empty aluminum (never glass) baking sheet on the very bottom rack of your oven.
• Make sure the other rack is in the center of your oven.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• After placing the bread on the center oven rack to bake, before closing the oven door, throw a ½ cup of water onto the now super hot baking sheet you placed on the bottom oven rack and quickly close the oven door.
• This creates steam that sets that crusty, chewy crust you want.
• Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.
• Loaves should be golden brown and sound hollow when thumped.
• Cool at least 20 minutes before cutting the top of the bread bowl off with a sharp knife, hollowing the center, filling with warm soup and eating.
• Don't forget to serve with the top and the inside of the bread bowl for dipping!

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

What To Put In Bread Bowls...

• Three Bean Chili - this makes a big batch!
• The Best Clam Chowder - authentic New England clam chowder flavor!
• French Onion Soup - a flavorful, classic soup!
• Instant Pot Spinach Dip - make the best appetizer!

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ANY NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS ON THIS SITE IS BASED ON AN ESTIMATE, CALCULATED BY NURTIFOX PLUGIN (OR OTHER THIRD-PARTY SOURCE) FROM THE INDIVIDUAL INGREDIENTS IN EACH RECIPE. VARIATIONS MAY OCCUR FOR VARIOUS REASONS, INCLUDING PRODUCT AVAILABILITY AND FOOD PREPARATION. WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF THE ACCURACY OF THIS INFORMATION.