Sourdough Mini Loaves for Bread Bowls (Makes 4)

Course: dinner, lunch, Snack, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: artisan bread bowls, bread bowls for soup, crusty sourdough bread bowls, dutch oven bread bowls, homemade bread bowls, how to make bread bowls at home, mini sourdough loaves, open bake bread bowls, personal sourdough loaf, rye sourdough bread bowls, sourdough bread bowl recipe

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 1

Servings: Bowls

Make bakery-quality mini sourdough loaves or bread bowls at home with this easy, step-by-step recipe. Whether you serve them whole alongside soup or hollow them out for bread bowls, you’ll get crusty, chewy bread with a soft center, naturally leavened with sourdough starter and a hint of rye flour for extra flavor.

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Equipment

1 Large mixing bowl
1 Dough Whisk
1 Kitchen Scale
1 Bench Scraper
Thai Rice Flour for dusting bannetons
4 mini bannetons or cereal bowls + lint-free towels
1 Bowl cover
1 Dutch Oven or Bread Oven (or baking steel + steam pan)
1-2 sheet of parchment paper
1 Bread Lame
1 Wire cooling rack
1 Digital Food Thermometer

Ingredients

133 g active sourdough starter
467 g warm filtered water
600 g unbleached bread flour
67 g dark rye flour (can sub with bread flour)
13 g sea salt

Instructions

Mix the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, stir together 133g active sourdough starter and 467g warm filtered water until the starter dissolves and the water looks milky. Add 600g unbleached bread flour, 67g rye flour (or sub with bread flour), and 13g sea salt. Mix until you have a shaggy dough. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
Stretch & Fold (or Coil Fold): With wet hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this process four times total, 30 minutes apart. This builds the gluten so your bowls hold their shape.
Bulk Fermentation: Cover and let rise until roughly doubled in size, jiggly, and bubbly on the tops and sides.
I like to use this chart as a guideline, but I use the visual cues (mentioned above) to know when my dough is done.
Dough temp vs. bulk time
80°F / 27°C → 5–6 hours
75°F / 24°C → 7–8 hours
70°F / 21°C → 11–12 hours
65°F / 18°C → 15–16 hours
(Time starts when you mixed your dough in step 1)
Start checking early to avoid overfermentation.
Divide and Shape the Loaves: Gently turn dough out onto a surface. Using wet hands and a wet bench scraper, divide into 4 equal pieces (about 320g each). Shape each into a tight round boule.
Place seam-side up in well-floured mini bannetons or towel-lined cereal bowls.
Final Proof:
Cold Proof (recommended): Cover and refrigerate for 12–14 hours (up to 24 hours).
Room Temp Proof (same-day option): Let proof at warm room temperature for about 2 hours until puffy and risen.
Bake:
Dutch Oven Method:
Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C) with Dutch ovens inside for 30 minutes.
Remove dough from fridge, flip onto parchment paper, and score the top.
Carefully place in hot Dutch oven.
Bake 20 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered until deep golden.
OR
Open Baking Method:
Preheat a baking sheet in the oven at 450°F (232°C) for about 30 minutes with another empty pan placed on the rack underneath (this will be used for steam).
Remove the dough from the fridge and carefully arrange the four mini loaves evenly on the hot, preheated parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Score the tops of the loaves (a simple “X” works great). Lightly spray the loaves with water right after scoring.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven. Immediately pour 1 cup of hot water into the bottom pan to create steam, then close the oven door. (Be careful not to splash water on the oven glass—cover with a towel if needed.)
Bake for 20 minutes with steam. Carefully remove the steam pan, lower the oven temperature to 425°F (218°C), and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 205°F (96°C).
Enjoy: Let cool for 1-2 hours. If making bread bowls, slice a round “lid” off each loaf. Scoop out the inside crumb, leaving some around the wall. Add your favorite soup, chili, or dip!

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