Homemade Bread Bowls

For key visual process steps, refer to the body of the blog post.

Make the dough:

1. Combine yeast and sugar into a bowl with ½ C (125ml) lukewarm water.
2. Give it a stir and set aside until yeast is bubbly and active.
3. Add flour and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.
4. While the mixer is running, add the activated yeast mixture, remaining water (you may not need all of it) and olive oil and mix until the dough forms smoothly into a ball.
5. Note: If the dough appears too sticky, add additional flour, and if it's too dry, add a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time. This dough can be quite moist, so add a little at a time.
6. Knead until dough is smooth and shiny, about 7-8 minutes in the mixer.
7. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a towel and place in a warm place to double in size, about 1 hour, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
8. Preheat the oven to 400°F/204°C.
9. Once dough is risen, deflate the dough and divide into 5 equal dough balls.
10. Shape the dough ball into a round, and flatten slightly.
11. Place the dough ball onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving ample space in between each bun.
12. Repeat with the remainder of the dough.
13. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm location, until slightly puffy.
14. Lightly brush the top of the bread bowls with egg white.
15. Bake the buns at 400°F/204°C for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly golden brown in colour.
16. Remove the baking tray from the oven.
17. Let the bread completely cool before cutting into them.
18. Once cool, use a sharp knife to cut the top of the bun.
19. Remove the top crust of the bun and use a spoon to hollow out the inside of the bread bowl.
20. Fill with your favorite soup, stew, chili, or dip.