Skip to Content

Bread Bowls

Homemade Bread Bowls are delicious and make a special dinner when filled with your favorite soup! My kids love to eat them whole too.

These are fairly easy to make and you can customize the size of bowl for whoever you are feeding. For me, I make 4 small bowls and 2 large bowls, for my 4 kids, husband and me.

What you need to make bread bowls:

Makes 6 Large Bread Bowls
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon yeast
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup vegetable Oil
  • 5 cups flour, possibly more if dough is sticky

Egg Wash

  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

  1. Mix the warm water (think the temperature you would bathe a baby in). Add yeast and let sit for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and stir. Add salt, eggs and oil. Add the flour stirring after each cup. The last cup add a little at a time until it is incorporated into the dough and the dough forms a not super sticky dough ball. You can add more flour if the dough still feels sticky or less if the dough feel tough without adding all of the flour. *Anytime you are working with eggs the liquid can vary slightly so adjust flour amounts accordingly.
  2. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, if kneading it by hand or 5-7 minutes with an electric mixer dough hook. You want the dough to feel smooth and the gluten to feel activated so it will feel a little like chewed bubblegum. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
  3. Softly punch down dough and form into 3 inch balls. *Helpful hint for forming perfectly shaped bread bowls – take a large piece of dough, push dough in the center and gather together the dough on the bottom then roll into a ball between your hands. You will notice you will have a gathered “bunched up” dough spot on the bottom, to make the “bunched up” dough spot on the dough disappear, slide it across your palm gently so you don’t smash the ball and it should smooth out the “bottom bunch”.
  4. Place the rolled dough balls onto a greased or parchment paper lined large baking dish, allowing room for them to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour. Brush tops with an egg wash made of 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 F. and bake for 25-30 minutes or until bowls look golden on top and look sufficiently baked, if the tops begin to over brown place aluminum foil over tops.
  6. If you want the bowls a little heartier, loosely cover bowls for a few hours so the bread tops slightly dry out.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Bread Bowls

Homemade Bread Bowls!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: bread, Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine: Baked goods, Bread, Dinner, rolls
Keyword: bread, Dinner, Kids Favorite, side dish, Soup, Weekend Dinner, Weeknight Dinner
Servings: 6 Bowls

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 5 cups flour possibly more if dough is sticky
  • Egg Wash:
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

  • Mix the warm water (think the temperature you would bathe a baby in). Add yeast and let sit for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and stir. Add salt, eggs and oil. Add the flour stirring after each cup. The last cup add a little at a time until it is incorporated into the dough and the dough forms a not super sticky dough ball. You can add more flour if the dough still feels sticky or less if the dough feel tough without adding all of the flour. *Anytime you are working with eggs the liquid can vary slightly so adjust flour amounts accordingly. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, if kneading it by hand or 5-7 minutes with an electric mixer dough hook. You want the dough to feel smooth and the gluten to feel activated so it will feel a little like chewed bubblegum. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. Softly punch down dough and form into 3 inch balls. *Helpful hint for forming perfectly shaped bread bowls – take a large piece of dough, push dough in the center and gather together the dough on the bottom then roll into a ball between your hands. You will notice you will have a gathered “bunched up” dough spot on the bottom, to make the “bunched up” dough spot on the dough disappear, slide it across your palm gently so you don’t smash the ball and it should smooth out the “bottom bunch”. Place the rolled dough balls onto a greased or parchment paper lined large baking dish, allowing room for them to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour. Brush tops with an egg wash made of 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water. Preheat oven to 350 F. and bake for 25-30 minutes or until bowls look golden on top and look sufficiently baked, if the tops begin to over brown place aluminum foil over tops. If you want the bowls a little heartier, loosely cover bowls for a few hours so the bread tops slightly dry out.