This simple sourdough bread bowl recipe produces homemade bread bowls with a rich, tangy flavor that complements a wide variety of soups and stews. A perfect recipe for beginners.
Make sure your sourdough starter is lively and bubbly. If it's been in the fridge, feed it and let it sit out at room temperature for a few hours until it's bubbly.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, active starter, warm water, and salt.
Mix the ingredients with your hands, a wooden spoon, or stand mixer until everything comes together into a slightly sticky dough.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it sit for about 30 minutes. This helps the flour absorb the water and makes the dough easier to work with.
Wet your hands slightly and gently stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over the rest of the dough.
Repeat this process, turning the bowl as you go, until you've done it about 6 times.
Recover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes, and then repeat this step two more times. This will help the dough develop gluten.
Cover the top of the bread bowl again and place it in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 4 hours. You can also place the bowl in the fridge overnight.
Using clean hands, divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and then shape each portion on a floured surface into a round ball using a bench scraper or by folding the edges under, forming a smooth top.
Begin by dusting the dough balls with rice flour, then place them in 2 floured mini bannetons or small bowls lined with a floured cloth.
Cover the bowls or bannetons once more with a cloth or towel and place them in the fridge or a warm place to undergo a second rise.
To find out if the dough is ready, perform the "poke test" by gently pressing your fingertip into the dough; if the indentation springs back slowly, it's ready!
Using a sharp knife or blade, create deep cuts on the top of each dough ball to help the bread expand.
Carefully transfer one dough ball to a Dutch oven lined with parchment paper. Place the other dough in the fridge.
Bake the bread for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and produces a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
Bake the remaining loaf in the hot oven.
Let the sourdough bowls cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing into them.
Once they have cooled, slice off the tops using a serrated knife and hollow out the centers to create bowls.
Fill your homemade sourdough bread bowls with your favorite creamy soup, stew, or chili, and enjoy!
Notes
You can also divide the dough into four smaller loaves.