Bread Machine Bread Bowls for Soup, Chili, or Chowder (Oven-Baked)
Sneak Preview: Use your bread machine to mix the dough for hearty bread bowls that hold chili, chowder, or creamy dips. Bake “bowls” in your conventional oven–ready in approximately 4 hours.
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I first tried making bread bowls by draping dough over upside-down ceramic soup bowls. They looked great coming out of the oven, but once filled, the soup just slid around instead of soaking into the bread. Since tearing into the soup-soaked sides is half the fun, I went back to the drawing board.
My next attempt—starting with my Really Crusty Rolls recipe and digging out the dough—worked beautifully. Sturdy, chewy walls with a crisp crust meant the bowls could handle hearty soups and dips while still being delicious to eat.
Ingredients and Substitutions
WATER: Tap is fine; spring water if you prefer. No need to warm the water.
OLIVE OIL: Swap with canola, corn, or avocado oil.
SALT: Table or sea salt as written; add ¼ teaspoon more if using Kosher.
SUGAR: Granulated; honey works but will darken the crust.
FLOUR: Use half bread flour + half all-purpose for chew and structure. All bread flour = chewier, all-purpose = softer.
YEAST: Instant/bread machine yeast works best. Active dry also works—add ¼ teaspoon extra.
CORNSTARCH (for glaze): Creates the crunchiest crust. Egg wash is possible, but less crisp.
How to Turn Rolls into Bread Bowls
Need pictures of the making and baking process for this bread recipe? See my step-by-step photos in Really Crusty Rolls.
Tips That Make a Difference
Choose Sturdy Bread: You don’t have to use my crusty roll recipe, but be sure your bread has enough structure. A dough made with bread flour (higher protein) will hold up best once you fill it with hot soup.
Toothpick Trick: Before cutting the top off your roll, poke two toothpicks into the sides at the same height. They’ll act as guides so your “lid” comes off evenly.
Bread Machine Bread Bowls for Soup, Chili, or Chowder (Oven Baked)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) of water
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) olive oil
- 1½ teaspoon table or sea salt
- 1½ teaspoon sugar
- 1½ cups (180 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (180 g) unbleached bread flour
- 1 teaspoon bread machine or instant yeast
Glaze
- ¼ cup (57 g) water
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: Add 1 cup (227 g) of water, 1 tablespoon (14 g) olive oil, 1½ teaspoon table or sea salt, 1½ teaspoon sugar, 1½ cups (180 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, 1½ cups (180 g) unbleached bread flour, and 1 teaspoon bread machine or instant yeast to the bread machine pan. Select the DOUGH cycle and press START.
- Check Twice: Peek in right after the cycle starts to confirm paddles are engaged. Check again at 15 minutes—dough should stick to the sides, then pull away cleanly. Adjust with flour or water as needed. Read more about this surprising secret to success with a bread machine here.
- Shape the Rolls: When the cycle ends and dough has doubled, divide into 4 pieces. Shape into balls and place on a parchment- or mat-lined baking sheet dusted with cornmeal.
- Let Rise: Cover with a towel and rest until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Prepare the Glaze: Stir ¼ cup (57 g) water and ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) cornstarch in a cup, then microwave 20 seconds until thick. Cool before brushing.
- Bake: Brush rolls with glaze, bake in a preheated oven at 375˚F (190˚C) for about 35 minutes, until golden and crusty.
- Carve Bowls: Cool slightly. Slice off the top with a serrated knife and hollow out the center, leaving sturdy walls and bottom. Fill with soup or dip.
Notes
- Unbaked dough: Freeze after the DOUGH cycle or after shaping (before final rise). Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Baked: Double-wrap and freeze up to one month. Reheat gently.
- Stand Mixer: Mix until moistened, then knead with a dough hook (speed 2–3) until smooth and elastic (5–10 minutes). Let rise, deflate, and shape as directed.
- By Hand: Mix to a shaggy dough, knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (10–20 minutes). Let rise, deflate, and shape as directed.
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
What Readers Ask Me About This Recipe
No. You can mix by hand or with a stand mixer (see recipe notes)—just be sure the dough is kneaded until smooth and elastic.
Leave the sides and bottom fairly thick when you hollow out the rolls. Thinner walls may collapse or soak through.
Final Thoughts
Part of the fun of serving soup in a bread bowl is tearing off the sides once the soup is gone. These bowls make even an ordinary weeknight meal feel special. For filling ideas, try my Chicken & Sausage Gumbo (No Tomatoes), Vegetable Beef Soup Without Tomatoes, or Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles. Chili, chowder, or even a creamy dip—just about anything is better when served in bread you can eat.
— Paula, Home Economist
Homemade Food Worth Sharing
Need help troubleshooting?
Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com — photos help!
These are delicious! I made per instructions, with the addition of flaked salt on top right before baking. My whole family gave them 10/10. No issues holding multiple servings of chicken and wild rice soup. Thank you!
Is there anything that isn’t better with flaked salt on top? Great idea. Thank you for sharing.
I made these bowls for my homemade potato soup and they were delicious!!
Next time I will double the recipe for larger bowls but I’m at a loss for what the 2-1 tsp for sugar and salt and 2-1 cups for the flours mean. Please help me understand this.
Hi Cindy,
It took me a few minutes to figure that one out. It was a technical glitch. It’s fixed now. Thank you SO MUCH for letting me know.
Love the idea of an edible bowl to finish off the meal, wasting not a drop of delicious soup! I have a question not related (unless I use a new bread recipe for my next soup or chili bowls): do you have a recipe for potato bread?
Hi Vivian,
Do you want a loaf or rolls? I have several recipes for rolls with potatoes in them: Potato Cheese Rolls and this one.
I can’t recall one for a loaf right off the top of my head. I need to add one.
I looked at the recipe for the crusty rolls, it says directions for bread bowls coming soon but I can’t seem to find the directions for it. Could you tell me how long to bake the bread bowls?
The directions for baking the rolls are on the “Crusty Roll” post. I copied the following from that post. “Bake in 375 degree pre-heated oven for 35 minutes until crust is crisp and brown. Hope they turned out well for you.
I couldn’t wait so I made your crusty recipe and made it into 6 rolls cause none of us wanted a large bread bowl! I cheated and served Boudin’s Clam chowder from Costco in each and it was such a hit and so many compliments from the family! It’s a winner! Thank you for all you do!!!
My husband likes to get his soup in bread bowls when we go out to certain eateries- he’d love it if he could get it at home! The chili looks good too- I’ve never used cinnamon in it before. 🙂