Perfect Sourdough Bread Bowls

These homemade sourdough bread bowls feature a crispy, artisanal exterior and a soft, tangy interior that perfectly cradles your favorite soups and stews. With this foolproof technique, you’ll create sturdy, restaurant-quality bread bowls that won’t leak or tear, impressing family and friends with your sourdough mastery.

Ready to transform ordinary soup night into an extraordinary dining experience? These sourdough bread bowls aren’t just delicious—they’re practical too, with make-ahead options that fit your busy schedule and a no-tear technique that ensures your fillings stay where they belong, not leaking onto your plate.

Imagine biting through that perfectly crisp crust into the tender, flavorful bread that’s gradually soaking up your favorite soup. Whether you’re serving classic clam chowder, hearty stew, or even a creative breakfast scramble, these versatile bread bowls elevate every meal from simple to spectacular.

Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Bread Bowls

• Perfect Texture Contrast: Experience the joy of biting through a crispy, chewy exterior into a soft, tender interior that beautifully soaks up soup without getting soggy too quickly
• Make-Ahead Convenience: Prepare these bowls up to 3 days in advance or freeze for up to a month – perfect for busy weeknights or stress-free entertaining
• Impressive Presentation: Elevate ordinary soup night into a restaurant-quality experience with minimal effort and maximum wow-factor
• Versatile Vessels: These aren’t just for soup! Fill them with breakfast scrambles, hearty salads, chili, or even desserts for a memorable meal

I first fell in love with sourdough bread bowls during a trip to San Francisco. The tangy sourdough paired perfectly with creamy clam chowder, and I became determined to recreate that experience at home. After many flat, soggy attempts, I discovered the techniques that make all the difference – and I’m sharing them with you today.

Ingredients You Need for Sourdough Bread Bowls

For the Dough:

• Active Sourdough Starter: 100g of bubbly, active starter at peak fermentation. This provides the natural leavening and distinctive tangy flavor that makes sourdough special. Look for a starter that’s doubled in size with a domed surface and plenty of bubbles.
• Bread Flour: 400g high-protein bread flour. The higher protein content creates stronger gluten development, resulting in the sturdy structure needed for bread bowls. This is non-negotiable – all-purpose flour simply won’t provide enough strength.
• Whole Wheat Flour: 100g for added flavor complexity and nutritional value. This creates a more rustic texture and enhances the sourdough flavor profile. If you’re new to sourdough, you can start with just 50g whole wheat and 450g bread flour.
• Water: 350g filtered water at room temperature. Using filtered water helps ensure consistent fermentation since chlorine can inhibit your starter’s activity.
• Sea Salt: 10g fine sea salt. Beyond flavor, salt strengthens gluten structure and controls fermentation rate for better texture.
• Rice Flour: For dusting bannetons (optional). Rice flour doesn’t absorb moisture like wheat flour, preventing dough from sticking during proofing.
• Olive Oil: 1 tablespoon for coating the formed bowls. Creates a barrier that helps achieve a crispy exterior.

Equipment You’ll Need:

• Digital kitchen scale
• Large mixing bowl
• Dough scraper
• Banneton baskets or bowls lined with clean kitchen towels
• Baking stone or Dutch oven
• Parchment paper
• Serrated knife or bread lame
• Spray bottle for water

How to Make Sourdough Bread Bowls

Day 1: Create Your Dough

1. Feed your starter: The night before you plan to mix your dough, feed your sourdough starter with equal parts flour and water. I usually do 50g starter + 50g water + 50g flour. By morning, it should be bubbly, active, and ready to use.

2. Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine your active starter with room temperature water and mix until fully dissolved. The water should look cloudy and slightly frothy. Add both flours and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. It will look shaggy and rough – that’s perfect. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

This resting period, called autolyse, allows the flour to fully hydrate and begins gluten development without the inhibiting effects of salt. I discovered this technique transformed my sourdough from dense to light and airy. Learn more about autolysing here.

3. Add salt and develop strength: After the rest, sprinkle salt over the dough and use wet hands to pinch and fold it throughout the mixture. The dough will initially feel stiff, then relax as the salt incorporates.

For the next 2 hours, perform 4-6 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals. Wet your hands, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up and over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you’ve folded all four sides. This develops the gluten structure that will help your bread bowls hold their shape.

4. Bulk fermentation: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature (70-75°F) for 4-6 hours. You’re looking for it to increase in volume by about 50% and show bubbles around the edges. The dough should feel puffy and alive.

During my early sourdough days, I always rushed this step. Trust me – patience here pays off with better flavor and texture.

5. Shape the bowls: Gently turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (about 240g each).

Working with one piece at a time, shape each into a tight ball: fold the edges toward the center, flip the dough over, and use your hands to gently rotate it while creating surface tension. The smoother and tighter your ball, the better your bread bowl will hold its shape.

6. Set up for proofing: Place each ball seam-side up in a floured banneton or a bowl lined with a well-floured kitchen towel. The seam side faces up now but will become the bottom of your bread bowl after baking.

7. Cold proof for flavor: Cover the shaped dough and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. This slow fermentation develops complex flavors and makes the dough easier to handle. I’ve found 18 hours to be the sweet spot for my taste preferences.

Day 2: Baking Day

1. Prepare for baking: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with a baking stone or Dutch oven inside for at least 45 minutes. This high heat is crucial for proper oven spring and crust development.

Remove your dough from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Gently turn out each dough ball onto parchment paper, being careful not to deflate them.

2. Final touches: Brush each dough ball with olive oil and score the tops with a crosshatch pattern using a sharp knife or bread lame. Scoring controls the expansion and creates those beautiful artisan bread features.

3. Create steam and bake: Transfer the dough (on parchment) to the hot baking stone or Dutch oven. For baking stone method, spray the oven walls with water or place a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack. Steam is the secret to that crackling crust we all love.

Bake for 20 minutes with steam, then remove the water source and continue baking for 15-20 minutes until deeply golden brown. When tapped on the bottom, the bread should sound hollow, and the internal temperature should reach 205-210°F.

4. Cool completely: Transfer bread bowls to a wire rack and allow to cool completely for at least 2 hours before hollowing. This step is non-negotiable! The bread is still baking internally, and cutting too soon will result in gummy bread.

5. Hollow out the bowls: Using a serrated knife, cut a circle in the top of each bread bowl, about 1/2 inch from the edge. Carefully remove the top and gently pull out the interior crumb, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the bottom and sides.

Don’t throw away that bread! Save the removed bread for dipping or making breadcrumbs.

6. Prepare for serving: For extra crispy bowls that resist sogginess, brush the insides with olive oil and bake at 350°F for 5-10 minutes to toast. Let cool slightly before filling with your favorite soup or stew.

Expert Tips and Variations for Sourdough Bread Bowls

After many years of sourdough baking, I’ve learned a few tricks that make all the difference:

1. For extra sturdy bowls: Replace 50g of bread flour with vital wheat gluten to create an even stronger structure. This is especially helpful if you’re serving very brothy soups. Alternatively, brush the interior with a thin layer of melted butter to create a moisture barrier.

2. Flavor variations: Incorporate 1 tablespoon of dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, or Italian blend) and 2 cloves of minced garlic into the dough after the autolyse stage. These herb-infused bowls complement creamy soups beautifully. I once made roasted garlic and rosemary bread bowls for a butternut squash soup that had my dinner guests raving for weeks.

3. Troubleshooting flat bowls: If your bowls spread rather than rise upward, try decreasing the hydration slightly (use 340g water instead of 350g) and perform additional stretch and folds during bulk fermentation. Building more strength in the dough will help it hold its shape.

4. Timing hack: Need same-day bread bowls? Use 25% more starter (125g) and keep the dough in a warmer environment (78-82°F) to accelerate fermentation. You’ll sacrifice some flavor complexity, but they’ll still be delicious.

Serving Suggestions

The possibilities are endless! Here are some of my favorite ways to serve sourdough bread bowls:

• Classic clam chowder or hearty vegetable soup
• Thick beef stew or chili with all the toppings
• Creamy spinach and artichoke dip for an impressive appetizer
• Scrambled eggs with cheese and herbs for a spectacular breakfast
• Chunky chicken salad for lunch
• Apple cinnamon filling topped with ice cream for dessert

Pro tip: If serving a brothy soup, let it cool slightly before filling your bread bowl. The extreme heat can make the bread soggy more quickly.

Storing Suggestions

One of the best things about these bread bowls is how well they store:

• Store cooled, unfilled bread bowls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days
• For longer storage, freeze baked bread bowls for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature and refresh in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes
• If you have leftover filled bread bowls (rare in my house!), refrigerate them for up to 2 days and reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through
• Stale bread bowls make excellent croutons, bread pudding, or breadcrumbs. Learn how to make breadcrumbs here.

Frequently Asked Questions

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These sourdough bread bowls have become a staple in my kitchen, especially during the colder months when a warm bowl of soup is the perfect comfort food. The technique takes some practice, but the results are well worth it. Once you’ve mastered these, you’ll never want to eat soup from a regular bowl again!

Do you have questions about your sourdough journey? Drop them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help troubleshoot any issues you encounter. Happy baking!