This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Make these vegan bread bowls for your delicious soups and dips! This recipe is easy and made with whole wheat flour.
A bread bowl full of broccoli cheddar soup at Panera Bread was heaven for me in my pre-vegan days. Pure carby deliciousness. Good news - you can eat vegan and still experience the delight of warm soup in a bread bowl.
This recipe calls for a combination of whole wheat and unbleached all-purpose flour to create bread that is fluffy, moist, and sturdy.
Ingredients
- Warm water: 105° to 115°F is ideal for activating dry yeast.
- Active dry yeast: 2 packets or 4½ teaspoons.
- Maple syrup: Or agave syrup or sugar.
- Olive oil
- Unbleached all-purpose flour
- Whole wheat flour
- Salt
- Non-dairy milk: In lieu of an egg wash.
How to Make Bread Bowls
See the printable instructions in the recipe card below.
- Mix the yeast, warm water, maple syrup, and olive oil together in your mixing bowl (I use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this recipe.) Let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. See the FAQ section for water temperature recommendations.
- In a separate bowl, combine the white flour, whole wheat flour, and salt.
- Turn on your mixer and slowly add the flour mixture 1 cup at a time. Let the dough hook knead the dough on a low speed for about 10 minutes. Occasionally, the dough might crawl up the hook - push it back down.
- If the dough is still sticky, add more flour 1-2 tablespoons at a time. If the dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time. The dough should stick to the side of the bowl momentarily and pull away cleanly.
- Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise for 1 hour in a warm area. I like to place the bowl in my oven with just the oven light on - perfect temp!
- Punch the dough down and then separate into 5 even pieces. Roll them up into balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and let rise for an additional 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (make sure your bread bowls aren't still in there!)
- Brush the tops of the bread bowls with non-dairy milk.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown all around.
Storage
After the bread has completely cooled, store in a plastic bag or wrap tightly in foil. Use within 3 days.
Freezing
You can store any leftover bread bowls you won't use in time right in the freezer! Wrap tightly in the foil, then store in a plastic freezer bag. Freeze for up 3 months.
To thaw, remove from the freezer and let it rest on the counter for about 2 hours.
Alternatively, you can thaw and reheat the bread bowls by baking in the oven. Remove from plastic bag and foil and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 325°F for 20-25 minutes.
FAQ
Broccoli cheese soup, butternut squash soup, and vegan bean and "bacon" soup are my favorites! See more vegan soup recipes here. Spinach dip is great in a bread bowl, too.
You can omit the whole wheat flour and use 6½ cups of all-purpose flour. You will need to reduce the amount of warm water, so use 2 cups instead of 2½.
This is usually an indicator that your yeast has expired. When in doubt, buy a new jar of yeast! Another reason could be that your water was too hot. A temperature range of 105° to 115°F is ideal.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment and a ⭐ star review below!
Recipe
Vegan Bread Bowls
Ingredients
- 2½ cups warm water 105° to 115°F is ideal - see notes
- 2 packets active dry yeast or 4½ teaspoons
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave syrup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Mix the yeast, warm water, maple syrup, and olive oil together in your mixing bowl (I use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this recipe.) Let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
- In a separate bowl, combine the white flour, whole wheat flour, and salt.
- Turn on your mixer and slowly add the flour mixture 1 cup at a time. Let the dough hook knead the dough on a low speed for about 10 minutes. Occasionally, the dough might crawl up the hook - push it back down.
- If the dough is still sticky, add more flour 1-2 tablespoons at a time. If the dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time. The dough should stick to the side of the bowl momentarily and pull away cleanly.
- Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise for 1 hour in a warm area. I like to place the bowl in my oven with just the oven light on - perfect temp!
- Punch the dough down and then separate into 5 even pieces. Roll them up into balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and let rise for an additional 30 minutes.
- If the balls have flattened out a little, just re-shape and plump them back up.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (make sure your bread bowls aren't still in there!)
- Brush the tops of the bread bowls with non-dairy milk (this helps achieve that golden brown look on top without eggs.)
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- After your bread bowls have cooled, carve out the middle using a serrated knife. Hollow it out more using a spoon - make sure to leave at least ½ an inch of the bread bowl intact all the way around so it is still strong enough to hold warm soup!
Notes
- Water exceeding about 130°F can kill yeast, so make sure the water is not too hot.
- Prep time includes rising time.