Pumpkin Shaped Sourdough Bread Bowls
Updated: Aug 11
Same shaping method as the mini pumpkin loaves, sized up into bowls, bake them, hollow them out, and they're ready for soup or dip.
I'm always looking for fun ways to feed my family, especially the kids, a soup bowl you can actually eat afterward tends to win them over.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
An edible bowl that's as fun as it is functional
Real sourdough tang under the pumpkin shape
A memorable way to serve soup or dip for a crowd
Links to Supplies You Will Need:
Servings: 5 bread bowls (weighing around 200g each)
Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 24 hours
Ingredients for the Dough:
125g active starter (about ½ cup + 1 Tbsp)
365g warm filtered water (about 1½ cups)
12g salt (about 2 tsp)
500g unbleached bread flour (about 4 cups)
To make them shaped like pumpkins:
Butchers twine
Olive oil (for dipping the twine in)
Cinnamon sticks (for stems)
Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, combine 125g active starter, 365g warm water, 12g salt, and 500g flour until well mixed. Use your hands to ensure there are no dry flour pockets. Cover and let rest for 1 hour.
Perform 4 rounds of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. After the last fold, let the dough bulk ferment for 4-6 hours, or until it has increased in size by 50%-75%.
Shape the dough into 5 mini loaves (about 200g each) and place them into mini bannetons.
Cover and refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours).
The next morning, dip pieces of butchers twine in olive oil to prevent sticking. Place 4-5 pieces on each dough ball while still in the banneton.
Use parchment paper to flip the dough out of the banneton. Tie the opposite ends of the twine to create pumpkin indents.
Preheat your Dutch oven to 500°F (260°C). Bake 2 loaves at a time with the lid on for 20 minutes (add ice cubes for steam to achieve a crispy crust). Then, lower the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C), remove the lid, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
After baking, cut the twine off and insert a cinnamon stick as the pumpkin stem.
Once cooled, cut off the top piece of the loaf and carve out a circle in the bread, pulling out the pieces (save these for snacks, croutons, or breadcrumbs). Fill the bread bowl with your soup of choice and enjoy!
Additional Tips:
Variations: Experiment with adding herbs or spices to the dough for extra flavor.
Substitutions: If you don’t have butchers twine, you can use kitchen twine, but ensure it’s food-safe & dipped in olive oil to prevent sticking to the bread.
Common Mistakes: Avoid rushing the fermentation process; longer fermentation develops better flavor and texture.
Storing Instructions:
Store any leftover bread bowls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, freeze the bread bowls before filling.
Reheating Tips: Reheat the bread bowls in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.
Ingredient Notes
Active starter: These need real structure to hold a bowl shape, so peak starter matters.
Bread flour: Higher protein means walls strong enough to hold soup without collapsing.
Twine shaping: Wrap before the final proof, not after, so the ridges set as the dough expands.
Hollowing out: Do this after fully cooling, a warm loaf will tear.
Troubleshooting Tips
My bread bowl collapsed after I hollowed it out. Let the loaf cool completely before cutting into it, a warm loaf doesn't have the structure yet to hold its shape once hollowed.
My bowl came out dense instead of airy. Same as any sourdough loaf, this usually points to under-proofing. Give the dough its full rise, looking for it to be puffy and doubled.
What to Serve This With
Perfect for serving soup, chili, or dip at a fall gathering.
Comments