Wheat Bread Bowls

Sometimes I ask my husband for ideas for the week's menu. He usually says my old standbys: pizza, beef stew, angel hair pasta, soft tacos, breakfast for dinner, etc. But a few weeks ago he surprised me with the idea of potato soup in bread bowls. I've never made bread bowls and probably have never bought them either. I've not really made too many potato soups either. I did find an excellent recipe for both, so he got his wish. The bread bowls were easy to shape (I was worried), and because of the "x" on top, when my husband first saw them, he thought I bought them. I laughed, because I thought he knew me better than that. Potato soup recipe to come soon!

Sweet Wheat Bread Bowls
from Life as a Strawberry

2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
4 Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. molasses
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing bowl
2 tsp. salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups wheat flour, plus extra for dusting
cornmeal, for dusting baking sheet or baking stone
1 egg

1. In a stand mixer, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes to let yeast bloom.

2. Mix molasses and olive oil into yeast-water-sugar mixture.

3. Add all-purpose flour and salt. Mix with a dough hook until most of the flour is incorporated into the dough.

4. Add wheat flour to dough and knead with a dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

5. Transfer dough to a large bowl greased with oil. Let rise in a warm place for 1 and 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

6. When the dough has doubled, punch it down and return it to the oiled bowl. Let rise another hour or until doubled again in size.

7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch dough down and cut it into four equal pieces. Shape each piece into a roll shape. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.

8. Dust a baking sheet or a pizza peel with cornmeal. Place shaped loaves onto the baking sheet while you preheat the oven to 425. If you’re using a baking stone, place that in the oven while it preheats and let the loaves sit on the pizza peel for an easy transfer to the stone.

9. Crack the egg into a small dish and add 1 Tbsp. of water to make an egg wash. Brush each loaf with the egg wash. Using a VERY sharp knife, make two slashes in the shape of an X on the top of each loaf of bread.

10. When oven is preheated, place the bread bowls in the oven or onto the baking stone. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes or until bread makes a hollow sound when you knock on it.

11. Remove bread to a wire rack to let it cool for 15-20 minutes. When you’re ready to fill them with soup, insert a knife at a 45 degree angle and cut in a circle around the top of each loaf, then pull out the center and serve on the side.