Sourdough Bread Bowl Recipe
What goes better than Soup and Sourdough Bread? Soup IN sourdough bread! With this easy Sourdough Bread Bowl Recipe, all your cozy cafe dreams can come true at home!
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Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Stone or Tray
- Scoring Tool
- Dutch Oven optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup Active Sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 cups Warm Water
- 4 cups Organic Unbleached Bread Flour
- 2 tsps salt
- 1 tbsp rice flour for dusting
- small bowl of water for sealing
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your active sourdough starter and warm water. Use a wooden spoon to create a smooth mixture.
- Gradually add the bread flour and salt to the wet ingredients, stirring continuously until a shaggy dough forms.
- Once your dough starts coming together, transfer it to a floured surface. Knead it by hand for about 10 minutes until you achieve a smooth dough. Add more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let it rest in a warm place for the first rise, usually about 4-6 hours or until it has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, gently punch it down to release excess air. Divide it into equal portions, usually 4-6 pieces depending on the size you desire.
- Shape each portion into a round ball and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, seam side down.
- Cover the dough balls with a clean tea towel and let them rest for an additional 30 minutes
- Preheat your oven to a hot 450°F (230°C) and place a baking stone on the middle rack. If you don't have a baking stone, a preheated cast-iron Dutch oven will do the trick.
- Take each dough ball and, with a sharp knife or a scoring lame, make a deep cross-like incision on top of the bread.
- Dust the top of the dough with rice flour for that classic rustic touch. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each dough ball with water to create a golden-brown crust when baking.
- Carefully transfer the dough, parchment paper and all, onto your preheated baking stone or into your preheated Dutch oven. If using a Dutch oven, cover it with the lid.
- Bake for about 20 minutes. After this time, remove the lid (if using a Dutch oven) and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the bread bowls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove the bread bowls from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
- Once they've cooled, carefully slice off the top of each bread bowl using a serrated knife. Hollow out the center to create a bowl shape, being sure to leave a sturdy edge for holding your delicious soup.
Notes
If you are using a dutch oven make sure to make your dough balls small enough that they won't stick together when they bake and expand. Or do them one at a time.
If you are using a baking sheet or baking stone, place a bowl of water in a heatproof dish on the bottom of your oven while baking to maintain a good humidity while the dough bakes.
Make sure that you do not cut into your sourdough bread bowls before they have fully cooled off...I know, it's really hard to wait, but it will pay off to leave all that warm steam inside to make a more moist chewy bread.
Servings: 5 people