We’ll get to the creamy, soupy part in a bit.
But first: carbs.
I know I sometimes say bread isn’t my weakness, yet bread bowls? I’m all in. I still remember my first one, long before Panera was in my area. It was a summer in Michigan and I scraped seafood bisque with a spoon while tearing into a soft sourdough loaf used as the bowl.
I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
Truly.
It was the most delicious thing I’d tasted, and I couldn’t stop talking about it. I nagged my mom about how the soup was served in an actual bread bowl and why that wasn’t everywhere.
Then Panera made bread bowls more commonplace and, in a way, the novelty faded. They’re still fantastic — I order one almost every time I’m there — but the magic of being able to get one anytime took some of the thrill away. Also: convenience is wonderful.
These bread bowls are an intentionally healthier take on the classic sourdough version. I won’t lie — I’d reach for sourdough over whole wheat any day, especially paired with a soul-warming soup — but until I either make a sourdough starter or borrow some, whole wheat is a great alternative. Aside from the usual dough rising time, these are incredibly simple to make.
They’re so easy that I now refuse to eat my soup out of anything else.
