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Seriously, it’s embarrassingly easy.
Have you ever walked into a house and smelled fresh baking bread?
Oh my gosh, if you are nodding your head no right now than it is time to change that. Like right this very second.
If you are not one of those poor unfortunate souls than you know that it is probably one of the coziest and most comforting smells there is.
Well, I don’t know that might be a bit of a stretch. Cookies might just be a tad better, but cookies are different. Cookies are a sweet and totally different craving. Bread is savory and you get to eat it at dinner with warm soup, stews, meats – well really it can be eaten with anything. Or without anything, else that is, just toast it up with some butter.
Personally, my favorite way to consume bread is dipped into soup.
Warm creamy soup.
And I blame this one hundred percent on Panera.
Yup, Panera and their stickin’ bread bowls. I was, no am a total sucker for them. When I was younger I always had to have the bread bowls whenever the rare occasion occurred that we actually got to go out for food. And trust me, it was pretty rare. Although, if you can believe it, it is actually even more rare now.
I cannot remember the last time I actually went and got food somewhere else and I don’t even know if they have Panera’s in the west.
We did used to get pizza delivered every now and then, but ever since we moved to Colorado that has never, like not even once, happened. In fact the last time we probably got carry-out was from either Hungry Howie’s Pizza or maybe BW3’s back in Ohio. Guys, that was like seven years ago.
SEVEN!
And I am not exaggerating.
I think it is mostly because the food choices up here are actually not the best.
Or at least they are not to my family’s particular tastes. Or my family is just pure cheap as ever and they rely on me as their personal sous chef. Yeah, pretty sure that’s it. Now that I think about it the carry-out kind of slowed down around the time I started cooking.
Totally all makes sense now.
Maybe I should start charging?
What’s the going rate these days?
Ah man, who I am kidding, that’s never going to fly. I guess I get free rent, so I got that going for me! Hallelujah!
Anyway, these bread bowls are SIMPLE.
Just mix some flour, yeast, salt, pumpkin purée, and water with a spoon. Let it sit covered overnight at room temp. Dump the dough onto a flour surface and divide into six balls (or you can make it even easier and leave it as one big loaf). Place them on a floured baking sheet and let them rise one more time for about an hour. While they rise get a big dutch oven steaming hot and then bake those bowls, cool, and fill em up with soup!
Easy peasy.
If you do not have a big dutch oven you can use a baking stone, and if you don’t have a baking stone you can use a cast iron skillet and if unfortunately you have none of those, than I’m not quite sure of the results, but don’t let that stop you. I am sure the bread would still be good just baked on a HOT baking sheet, but I am not sure it would be super crusty like the ones you see in the photos. I have found that most of time there is nothing like baking bread in cast iron. I swear it works like magic! So good. Crusty on the outside, so sot and flavorful on the inside.
These bread bowls have only the slightest hint of pumpkin, but it makes them perfect for breakfast, sandwiches and any fall soup. They’re also perfectly addicting. Just throw some butter on a fresh slice and you will not be able to stop. It’s so good.
Super Easy Crusty No-Knead Pumpkin Bread Bowls
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 cup lukewarm water, divided
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree (preferably homemade, but canned works too)
Instructions
- Add the flour, salt and yeast to a large mixing bowl. Combine the pumpkin puree with 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water. Whisk until completely combined and smooth. Add the pumpkin mixture and remaining 1 1/2 cups water to the bowl with the flour. Using a wooden spoon mix until you have a wet and sticky dough. If you have a stand mixer you may also do this with your dough hook. Mix until the flour is completely incorporated. Cover the bowl with a wet towel or plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 12-18 hours or overnight and up to two days. The dough should bubble up and rise to double its original size.
- Generously dust a work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and into one mound on top of the floured surface. It should be loose and sticky. Using floured hands, lift the outside edges toward the center, working around the entire piece to make a smooth round ball.
- You can leave the dough as one large bread loaf, placing it on a floured baking sheet and covering it with a tea towel. Allow to rise 1-2 hours. Or make individual bread bowls.
- To make bread bowls divide the dough into 6 equal dough balls. Smooth out into smooth balls and place a few inches apart on a floured baking sheet, covering them with a tea towel. Allow to rise 1-2 hours.
- Half an hour before the dough is done rising place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F. Place a 5-quart, or larger, cast iron dutch oven with a tight fitting lid in the center of the rack. You may also use a baking stone, but I have found the the dutch oven with a lid works the best.
- When the dough is ready to bake, carefully remove the hot dutch oven from the oven using oven mitts and remove the lid. To bake the big loaf: Gently slide your hands under the dough and quickly, but gently and carefully place the dough into the hot pot. Using oven mitts, place the hot lid back on the pot and return to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the hot lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep, golden brown, about 15-30 minutes more. Remove from the oven. Using a thin handle of a spatula, carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Don't slice into the bread right out of the oven, the bread continues to cook as it cools.
- To make the bread bowls: Gently slide your hands under the dough and quickly, but gently and carefully place the dough into the hot pot. Repeat with 2 more bread bowls, fitting three (or less if your dutch oven is small) inside the dutch oven. Using oven mitts, place the hot lid back on the pot and return to the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the hot lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep, golden brown, about 10-20 minutes more. Remove from the oven. Using a thin handle of a spatula, carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Repeat the cooking process with the remain 3 bread bowls
- Eat for dinner, breakfast or as a soup bowl!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Thinking soup tomorrow?
Oh and the winner of the Baked Doughnuts for Everyone Cookbook is Kate M! Nice job! I sent you an email!
I love no knead bread, it’s just magical. And with pumpkin? Heaven! I might try folding some cranberries or raisins into the dough, too.
Cranberries would be awesome I bet!! Thanks so much, Gina!
Wow look at that crust! Stunning they look so crunchy and beat the smell was amazing when these came out of oven.
I think You can try to increase the pumpkin-ness of the bread by pre roasting the pumpkin with a bit of bi carbonate of soda. The chemical reaction in the veggies boost the pumpkin flavour( something like the onions.) Also I like to puree the skin too, the skin has the best flavour.
Thanks for the tips Belinda! I actually LOVE the skin too! Thought I was the only one!
These look so perfect, and I’ll bet they would go amazingly filled with pumpkin soup! 😀
Thanks Sarah! Pumpkin soup would be so good in these!
Can not wait to try these! So perfect for soup season!
Thanks Jessica!
Fresh baked bread is one of my favorite things ever. I need these in my life!
It is so good! Nothing beats fresh bread! Thanks Deborah!
After seeing this on pinterest, very excited about making these.
Would be so perfect on a Holiday Buffet. Love it.
Thanks Ash! Hope you love them!
Making these for dinner tonight! Yours look perfect!
Oh I really hope you love them!! Thanks so much, Amanda! Let me know hoe they turn out!
You do happen to have Panera restaurants in Colorado! These look delish. Can’t wait to make them.
Thanks Amber!
I don’t have a dutch oven, but I do have a baking stone, so that will have to do. Can’t wait to make these.
Hope you love them! Thanks Kristi!
I love these rolls! There’s nothing better than the smell of homemade bread!
I could not agree more! Thanks Laura!
They’re gorgeous and I love it when I can re-create a restaurant food, only do it better 🙂 I actually did a tomato soup recreation of Panera’s tomato soup about a year ago. I think that soup in these bowls would be perfect.
“These bread bowls have only the slightest hint of pumpkin,..” Yes I agree that when I bake yeasted breads with pumpkin, they really don’t get too pumpkiny tasting from the puree alone and I’ve used up to like 3/4 c puree to about 3-4 cups flour. And still the only way to get the classic ‘flavor’ is by jacking up the pumpkin pie and related spices. At least for me. But regardless, the moisture content it adds is amazing!
I remember that tomato soup!! Oh I want some now! It looked so good. YUM!!
Thanks Averie! 🙂
You know I like simple. Soup would be perfect!
Simple is good! Thanks Todd!
Sounds awesome! One question … How big is your Dutch oven? Mine is round and maybe 3 to 4 quarts… When you put three of them in to bake, do they touch? Thanks!
Hey Kathy! Mine is big. I think about 9 quarts, but i still think you could probably fit two bowls in at a time. It is kind of a pain, I know. Or you can also just divide the dough in half and bake two loafs instead of six bread bowls. Both ways you are still going to get awesome bread! Hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions!
Yum….Just plain yum!
Thanks Susan!
Can’t wait to try! Btw I live in Denver, and we do have Panera. 🙂 it’s still delic.
Haha! I think Summit county needs a Panera!!
Thanks Donna!