Description
These homemade sourdough bread bowls are crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, perfect for serving soups, chowders, or dips. Made with natural sourdough starter, they have a delicious tangy flavor and a chewy texture.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (240ml) active sourdough starter
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) bread flour
- 1 cup (240ml) lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons (12g) salt
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: In your large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, flour, water, and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Bulk Fermentation: Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes (autolyse). Then, perform 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. This develops strength in the dough. Image Placeholder: Sourdough dough after stretch and folds (alt text: Sourdough Bread Bowl bulk fermentation).
- Shape the Dough: Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a tight, round boule. Be careful not to deflate the dough.
- Proofing: Place the shaped dough in a well-floured proofing basket, seam-side up. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours). This slow, cold proofing develops flavor.
- Baking: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with your Dutch oven or baking stone inside for at least 30 minutes. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven.
- Score and Bake: Gently invert the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or lame in a circular or cross pattern. This allows the bread to expand during baking. Lower the parchment paper with dough into the Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove the lid and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is deeply golden brown. Image Placeholder: Perfectly baked sourdough bread bowl (alt text: golden brown sourdough bread bowl).
- Cooling and Hollowing: Transfer the baked sourdough loaf to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to carefully cut out the center of the loaf, leaving a thick shell. Remove the soft bread from the center to create the bowl.
Notes
- Starter Activity: The key to a good sourdough bread bowl is an active starter. Make sure it’s bubbly and doubled in size before using it.
- Scoring: Scoring the dough properly is crucial for even baking and a beautiful crust. Experiment with different patterns!
- Soup Pairings: Sourdough bread bowls are fantastic with creamy soups like clam chowder, broccoli cheddar, or tomato soup.
- Storage: Store leftover sourdough bread in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezing: You can freeze the baked sourdough bread bowl for up to 2 months. Thaw completely before filling. Image Placeholder: Clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl (alt text: Delicious clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl).
- Prep Time: 12 hours (including fermentation)
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bread Bowl
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 550g
- Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 9g