With autumn now finally here and winter approaching, many of us will be on the lookout for hearty, comforting meals to enjoy in the evenings. There is nothing that screams warmth more than soup – and you can level up yours by serving it in a toasty bowl made out of bread. The idea of bread bowls has become increasingly popular in recent years, and now Paul Hollywood has even weighed in on how you can make yours even tastier.
The celebrity chef, known for his expertise in bread, explained that he has seen more people doing bread bowls recently. He offered up his own tips, advising: “If you brush it with a little bit of egg and bake that off it will seal it so you can put a soup in it.”
A bread bowl is exactly what it sounds like – it’s a round loaf of bread, hollowed out to make space for a dish like soup, melted cheese, or stews. Essentially, you can serve your meal in an edible bowl that can be enjoyed during – as a dipping vessel – or afterwards.
However, Paul also said that anyone making a bread bowl should be careful to do one key thing – save the interior. He explained: “A baker has spent a long time baking that bread, if it isn’t yourself. Carve that into little cubes, turn them into croutons, fry them into croutons.”
The bread expert added: “When you’ve got your soup inside and your croutons on the top, delicious.” Given that Paul is the bread expert on Great British Bake Off, and has written several cookery books on the topic, we should probably listen to his advice.
One of the most popular bread bowl recipes during autumn months is baked brie. A food influencer, known to their 202,000 followers as @convinoboard, shared their recipe for a mouth-watering, gooey brie bread bowl with prosciutto and jalapenos.
After cutting the top off the sourdough loaf and following it out, you should place an entire round brie in the middle. Score the brie and add pepper jam for a “sweet and spicy combo”. You can also add jalapenos if you want more heat, the expert explained.
Bake in the oven on a baking sheet for 30 minutes until the brie is soft and the bread is crispy. When it comes out of the oven, top the dish with crispy prosciutto and enjoy while it is still warm.