The Best Simple Soup Bread Recipe
Learn how to make a simple soup bread recipe that’s perfect for dipping, tearing, and sharing. This easy homemade bread is perfect for soup season!
I’m about to blow your mind with this easy homemade bread recipe! What might shock you more than anything is that it’s not made with sourdough (gasp). If you’ve been part of this community for any length of time, you know my heart for traditional sourdough breads BUT sometimes you just need a super quick bread you can put on the table in a hurry without using a sourdough starter.
Why Make Bread?
Homemade bread adds a comforting, rustic touch to any soup or stew especially during those fall and winter months. This recipe is perfect for tearing, dipping, and sharing with family and friends.
Because this bread is so simple, it pairs well with any any bowl of warm soup. Our family enjoys soup bread with creamy soups like potato and tomato soup as well as beef stew and chili.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
There’s no need for advanced baking skills, you’ll only need 4 simple ingredients and very little time to make this fresh bread.
Yeast: I use rapid rise or instant yeast. This makes this recipe even faster becuase you don’t have to wait for the yeat to dissolve and bubble.
Flour: For this recipe I prefer bread flour because of it’s protien content but all-purpose flour will do the trick.
Salt
Water
Yep, that’s it!
How To Make Soup Bread
Making soup bread from scratch is easier than you think! Follow these simple steps and you’ll have fresh-baked artisan bread on your table in no time. No fancy equipment needed!
Make the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, and yeast.
Then add warm water and mix together with your hands or a dough hook.
The dough will be wet and sticky. This is perfect!
Let It Rise
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let your wet dough rise on the counter for 2 hours. If you keep your home cool, then you may want to place the bowl in a warm spot. You’ll notice that the dough will increase by volume and come together.
Shape & Bake
Once the dough has risen, you can bake it immediatly or you can refrigerate it for up to 3 days. See my bakers timeline below for options. You’ll want to preheat both the oven and the dutch oven pot.
While the oven is preheating, turn the bread dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Bring the sides of the dough toward the center and flip the dough over using a bench scraper.
Lightly flour your hands and gently cup the dough moving it around in a circular motion and then gently pulling it back towards you building tension. Do this until a nice tight round shape forms.
Place your loaf on a large sheet of parchment paper and CAREFULLY place it inside the preheated dutch oven.
Bake bread for 30 minutes with the lid on and then remove the lid for the last 15 minutes. Find the printable recipe card below.
Bakers Timeline for Soup Bread
I’m providing you with three baker’s timelines: quick, same-day, and overnight. The overnight option is perfect for those who work outside the home but still want to enjoy freshly baked, warm bread with dinner.
Each timeline offers flexibility, so whether you’re in a rush or prefer to let the dough rise slowly while you sleep, there’s a plan that suits your schedule and allows you to savor homemade bread.
Quick Timeline
3 pm: Mix your dough and cover to rise at room temperature for 2 hours.
5 pm: Bake & enjoy!
Long Ferment-Same Day Timeline
7 am: Mix the dough and cover to rise for 2 hours in a warm place.
9 am: Place covered dough in the refrigerator.
5 pm: Shape and Bake
Overnight Timeline
7 pm: Mix dough and cover to rise in a warm spot for 2 hours.
9 pm: Place covered dough in te refrigerator.
The next day…
5 pm: Shape and Bake!
Serving Suggestions
For best results, allow your bread to cool for 30 minutes and use a serrated knife for slicing. Serve alongside any steaming bowl of soup, stew or chili. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that the crusty exterior is great for dipping.
Another suggestion is to turn your soup bread into garlic bread. You can find my recipe for delicous garlic butter spread here.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and turn it into homemade bread bowls and use them to serve your best soups on a chilly day!
How To Store Leftover Soup Bread
This recipe makes one loaf of soup bread, so it’s likley that there wont be any leftovers but just incase…
Store any leftover bread in a zippered plastic bag or airtight container to keep it fresh. For longer storage you can slice and freeze for up to 3 months. Once your bread has been sliced, you’ll want to keep it airtight or it will become stale bread very quickly.
When you’re ready to enjoy a slice, simply thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven.
Additional Bread Recipes You Might Enjoy
Sourdough Bread Bowl Recipe
Same Day Sandwich Bread
Easy Soup Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups of flour
- 2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups of very warm water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, and yeast.
- Then add warm water and mix together with your hands or a dough hook.
- The dough will be wet and sticky. This is perfect!
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let your wet dough rise on the counter for 2 hours. If you keep your home cool, then you may want to place the bowl in a warm spot. You’ll notice that the dough will increase by volume and come together.
- Preheat oven to 450°F with the dutch-oven inside.
- While the oven is preheating, turn the bread dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Bring the sides of the dough toward the center and flip the dough over using a bench scraper.
- Lightly flour your hands and gently cup the dough moving it around in a circular motion and then gently pulling it back towards you building tension. Do this until a nice tight round shape forms.
- Place your loaf on a large sheet of parchment paper and CAREFULLY place it inside the preheated dutch oven.
- Bake the bread for 30 minutes with the lid on and then remove the lid for the last 15 minutes.
