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Sourdough Bread Bowl

A tangy San Francisco-style sourdough loaf hollowed out to hold soups and chowders.

⏱ 20 minPrep time
🔥 40 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 California KitchenCategory
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The sourdough bread bowl is the San Francisco icon — a round, crusty sourdough loaf hollowed out and filled with hot, creamy soup. It’s the coziest way to eat soup, and the bread is half the meal.

The San Francisco icon

A crusty sourdough round hollowed and filled with creamy soup — the bread bowl, the city’s favorite.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Cut a lid off each loaf and hollow out the inside, saving the bread.
  3. Melt the butter in a pot and cook the onion 4 minutes. Add the garlic, then whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute.
  4. Slowly whisk in the stock and simmer 10 minutes until thickened.
  5. Stir in the cream, cheese, broccoli, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer 5 minutes until the cheese melts.
  6. Fill the bread bowls with the soup, replace the lids, and bake 15 minutes. Serve with the reserved bread.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Choose round, thick-crusted loaves that hold their shape. Save the scooped-out bread, toast it, and use it for dipping.

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Recipe details

Prep20 min
Cook40 min
Servings4
CategoryCalifornia Kitchen
PublishedAugust 16, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →