Bread Bowls

Yesterday was such an awfully cold and windy day that  some super cozy comfort food like clam chowder was definitely what we needed -- it was a day to make lemonade out of lemons.  I thought instead of just clam chowder I'd do something cool to go with it. I love clam chowder, but it's just not the same without serving it in a warm bread bowl. That's our favorite way to eat it. So I decided I would try and make my own. Traditionally, bread bowls are made using a sour dough recipe. I just used the simple french bread recipe I have, rolled the dough into four small balls for the bowls, (not the gigantic ones you usually get when you eat out) and then I made a small little loaf of bread for the kids with the extra dough. After baking I let them cool just enough to be able to handle them. To serve, I cut the tops off and buttered them to serve alongside the hollowed out bowls filled with chowder. To hollow them out I just ran a knife a little bit from the edge all the way around and then the middle all came out mostly in one big chunk which was pretty yummy to eat as well. They turned out great. Riley said that was the best bread he's ever had (probably because it was all soaked up in chowder.) I guess I should have acted like they were much harder to make so he would have been even more impressed. :) This was just one more of those "duh" moments for me, like why hadn't I tried this before? I make french bread all of the time.

I'm glad I attempted to try this out and I'll be doing it a lot more often with other soups and things. The bread held up really well and didn't get overly soggy. It was very fun and very easy.

I'm happy there were leftovers for my lunch today because after running this morning I was STARVING! MMmmmm........

If you don't already have a french bread recipe you like, here is the really easy generic one I use:

French Bread:
2 T yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 T sugar
1 T salt
7 cups flour (not approximate, I kind of eyeball the last cup until it's the right consistency)

(I use my stand mixer and this usually makes 2 big loaves)
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Add salt and 2 cups of the flour. Mix well. Add the rest of the flour cup by cup making sure it doesn't get too dry (sometimes you can add a little bit of water to it if it is) and knead for about 5 minutes. Let rise for about 30-45 minutes. Grease cookies sheets. Punch down the bread and knead for another minute on a floured surface. Divide dough into whatever sizes are needed at this time. Let rest 10 minutes. (I usually just skip that part). Roll into ropes pinching ends under and then place on cookie sheet. Let raise until doubled (about 30 minutes). Place a pan of hot water on the lower shelf of the oven. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the bread gives a hollow sound when it is tapped.