Pretzel Bread Bowls

By MJH

What fun! These Pretzel Bread Bowls have a lovely crunchy and dense outer layer with a light and fluffy inside. They hold up well for serving your favorite soup, my fave is minestrone. The best part is they are really simple to make. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups hot water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 6 cups bread flour (all purpose would probably be fine, but bread flour is better)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 8 to 10 cups water
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• Egg wash, 1 egg beaten together with 1 teaspoon water
• Coarse sea salt

Preparation

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the butter, hot water and brown sugar. Stir to combine and melt the butter. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the mixture and let sit for 5 to 6 minutes, at which point it should be nice and foamy.

With the dough hook attachment, stir in three cups of the flour and the kosher salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining three cups of flour.

Mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball (should take a few minutes). Continue kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 4-5 minutes more). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise for one hour, or until doubled.

After an hour, punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into eight pieces and roll into small balls.

Place on a greased baking sheet, cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes. If you don't want to make all 8 at once, you can freeze half of them for later use.

In a large pot, heat 8 to 10 cups of water until just boiling. Stir in 1/3 cup baking soda. Keep at a low boil and place each dough ball into the water. Cook for 45 seconds, flipping in the middle. Remove and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Once you've boiled each ball, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Cut a small X on the top of each dough ball with a sharp paring knife.

Bake at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes, until very brown on the outside. Allow to cool.

When ready to serve, use a sharp knife to cut a round out of the bread, making a lid in the process (kind of like when you carve a pumpkin). Scoop out as much of the inner bread as desired to make space for your soup.