Bread Bowl

[Polka]

Howdy
Anyone have a good formula that bakes up into a great bread bowl?
Gonna have a lot of crock pot soups and stews this winter, and occasionally the kids over for supper too.

Anything more special than a good chewy French Bread ? should it be chewy, or more softer?
What do you use to bake them in? It was suggested to me to use clean, unused clay flower pots -- the 5.5 inch ones called "bulb pans/pots" that are a little over
5 inches across, and about or less than 4 inches deep. Season the clay pots like C I pans. Maybe they should be bigger? smaller?

Open to suggestions, styles, proceedures, do's, and don'ts.
I usually post over in sausage, and used to be a cook (sous chef, actually, but that was eons ago), tho baking was not my forte at all.
Just puttin the feelers out there.
Thanks, All, for your help and consideration!

Rex
aka Polka

 

[Fueling Around]

I'm looking for my recipe. I haven't done them in years.
You want a tough chewy crust to hold the liquids. interior gets put on the baking sheets for croutons or bread pudding.

 

[SmokinAl]

I think you would get that chewy crust if you used a bagel recipe & boiled the dough for a couple of minutes before baking it, like you would a bagel, then bake it in a small pot or Dutch oven.
Al

 

[Fueling Around]

Cannot find my recipe. Didn't use the bagel boil, but sounds interesting.
I just baked mine on a cookie sheet. No flower pot or DO.
Form into a boule and bake.

 

[Polka]

thanks for the replies, so far! The reason the flower pots were suggested, was that I was wanting a higher top / deeper "bowl" to hold the soup with. I've seen several pictorials, and videos, and the bowls spread, low and wide -- okay, I suppose for a bowl of corn flakes, but not a hearty chicken and noodle soup. So, the low fat, no fat type of formula would give a nice chew, eh? This would be for company, and want it to hold a generous portion. I'm still all ears, looking and listening. Thanks for your consideration, time, and trouble, folks. R