Bread Bowls

2 packets yeast (4 and 1/2 teaspoons)
2 and 1/4 cups (540ml) warm water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt*
2 Tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
6 cups (780g) bread flour
egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk


Pour the warm water over yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Or, if you don’t have a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. Whisk together and allow to sit for 5 minutes. 

Add the sugar, salt, olive oil, 4 cups of bread flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, then add remaining 2 cups of flour. Beat on low speed for 5-6 minutes. The dough should be thick, yet soft. And only slightly sticky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl as it mixes. If it’s too sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Then place into a large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. (I just use the same mixing bowl– remove the dough, grease it with nonstick spray or olive oil, put the dough back in.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm environment to rise until doubled, about 90 minutes(mine didn't take this long).

Once doubled in size, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down again to release any more air bubbles if needed.

Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut into 6 even pieces. Form each into a large ball.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Place 3 dough balls onto each. Cover lightly and set aside to rest for 20 minutes as the oven preheats.

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Brush each dough ball with egg wash and, using a sharp knife, score an X into the tops of each.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Once cool, cut around the top and scoop out the insides, fill with soup and enjoy.


Notes:
*The original recipe didn't specify what kind of salt, so I guessed and used kosher. They came out very under-salted, so try it with table salt instead.

*I've only used these with chowder so far, so I'm not sure how they'll hold up to a brothy soup.