Easy Homemade Bread Bowls

These easy homemade bread bowls are soft and tender with a crisp, golden crust, perfect for hearty soups. Made with all-purpose flour and semolina, they bake into six bakery-style bowls in under 2 hours. Whether you’re serving clam chowder, tomato soup, or beef chili, these homemade bread bowls make any meal feel extra special.

I’ve been making these bread bowls for years, and they never fail to impress! They’re inspired by those famous bread bowls you get at chain restaurants, but honestly, these taste even better fresh from your own oven. 

The semolina flour gives them that perfect chewy texture and gorgeous golden color, while the all-purpose flour keeps them soft enough to tear into easily. A substantial and flavorful bread without any added olive oil or butter. Plus, you can use the scooped-out bread for dipping, making breadcrumbs, or even a seasonal panzanella salad if you’re feeling fancy!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-Purpose Flour: The base of these bread bowls provides structure and a tender crumb. I use unbleached all-purpose flour for the best flavor and texture. You could substitute bread flour by weight. I wouldn’t recommend substituting for whole wheat flour. Use this whole wheat sourdough bread recipe to make 3 bread bowls instead. 
• Semolina Flour: This is the secret ingredient that gives these bread bowls their gorgeous golden color and slightly chewy texture! Semolina flour is made from durum wheat and adds a subtle nutty flavor. 
• If you don’t have semolina, you can replace it with additional all-purpose flour, though you’ll lose some of that characteristic color and chew. I always have it on hand to roll out sourdough discard pizza dough and english muffins. 
• Instant Yeast: I prefer instant yeast in this recipe because it works quickly and doesn’t require blooming in water first. You can substitute active dry yeast, but be prepared for the proof times to be at least double what’s written in the recipe. If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm water with the sugar before adding the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.
• Sugar: A small amount of granulated sugar feeds the yeast and promotes browning. You can substitute malt powder if you have it, which will give an even more authentic bakery flavor!
• Kosher Salt: Salt strengthens the gluten network and enhances flavor. I always use kosher salt in my bread recipes, but you can use half the amount of fine sea salt or table salt.
• Water: Room temperature water hydrates the flour and creates the dough. The hydration level in this recipe creates a dough that’s soft and manageable—not sticky, not stiff.
• Egg & Milk: The egg wash is technically optional but highly recommended! It gives the bread bowls that beautiful golden shine you see on bakery breads. Mix one egg with 2 teaspoons of milk (or water) and brush it on before scoring and baking.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Professional Tips

• Shape them like large dinner rolls for the best structure. When shaping the bread bowls, use the same technique you’d use for sweet potato dinner rolls—tuck all four corners into the center, flip seam-side down, and tighten the ball by cupping it with your hand while rotating in small circles. Use your fingers to pull toward you and your thumb to press away in a circular motion. This creates surface tension that helps the bowls hold their round shape.
• Don’t skip the egg wash! I’ll be honest—I was lazy during testing and skipped it. But the egg wash really does make a difference in the final appearance. It gives the bread bowls that gorgeous golden, shiny crust that makes them look professionally baked.
• Score with a deep X before baking. Use a sharp knife or bread lame to cut a decisive X on top of each bowl right before they go in the oven. This allows the bread to expand properly during baking and creates that classic bread bowl appearance.
• Simple, complementary variations. Add garlic, fresh chopped herbs, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the flour for extra flavor. 
• I simplified the original baking instructions. The original recipe (2010) had a lot of rigmarole around spritzing with water and changing temperatures. It’s not that serious! Just bake at 425°F for 20-22 minutes, rotating halfway through, until they’re golden brown. Simple is better.

How to Make Easy Homemade Bread Bowls

Use these instructions to make perfect bread bowls every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Mix the dough. Combine all-purpose flour, semolina flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the dough hook attachment until the dough comes together (photo 1).

In a pinch you can incorporate all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a spoon, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until the dough is smooth, supple and springs back when pressed.

Step 2: Knead to smooth. Increase the mixer to medium speed and knead for about 4 minutes, or until the dough is soft and smooth. The dough should be supple and slightly tacky but not sticky (photo 2).

It should pass the windowpane test, though the semolina makes it a bit more challenging to pull it thin without tearing compared to an all-white flour dough.

Step 3: First rise. Place the dough in a lightly greased large bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes if using instant yeast (photo 3).

Step 4: Prepare egg wash. While the dough proofs, beat together the egg and milk for the egg wash. Set aside.

Step 5: Shape the bowls. Divide the risen dough into six pieces (approximately 280g each). Shape each piece into a round ball by tucking all four corners into the center, flipping seam-side down, and tightening by cupping and rotating against the work surface (photo 4).

Step 6: Final proof. Place each ball on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each dough ball with egg wash and let them rise until doubled, about 20-30 minutes (photos 5 & 6).

Step 7: While the dough undergoes its final proof, preheat the oven to 425°F (photo 7).

Step 8: Bake. Before placing the rounds in the oven, score each with an X on top using a sharp knife. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the pan after 15 minutes for even browning (photo 8).

Step 9: Cool. Remove the bread bowls from the oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack before cutting (photo 9).

Step 10: Hollow and fill. To hollow out the bowls, cut off the tops with a small paring knife inserted at an angle to create a little wedge. Remove the insides, leaving about ¼ to ½ inch thickness all around. Fill with your favorite hearty soup or chili (photo 10)!

Recipe FAQs

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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed these bakery-style bread bowls! Check out our other delicious yeast bread recipes like my potato bread, and then these lunch and dinner recipes for more cozy meal inspiration!