Bread Bowls with Potato Soup

Yesterday was a rainy day so what better to do than bake, right? I've always wanted to make bread so I figured I would give it a shot! I would say the end result was a success, but I don't think I will be making it again any time soon..lets just say that its a little too time consuming without a stand mixer. I got recipes for both the soup and the bread bowls from Southern Living - however with recipes that don't involve baking I tend to make a few changes. My husband Lance isn't crazy about a lot of onions in things so I cut down the onion from 2 to 1 in the soup. I also added an extra carrot, a clove of chopped garlic and threw a bay leaf in while it was cooking. The garlic and bay leaf turned out to be great in the soup, I think it may have been a little bland without those additions. Overall the meal was a hit! We had some friends join us for dinner and everyone enjoyed the soup and the bread :) I think I'll definitely make the soup again it was yummy and really easy to make since you just throw everything in the crock pot.



Hearty Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 6 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2 1/2 pounds)
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half

Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in a 4 1/2-quart slow cooker.

Cook, covered, at HIGH 3 hors or until vegetables are tender.

Stir together flour and half-and-half; stir into soup. Cover and cook 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve in Italian Bread Bowls, and garnish, if desire

Italian Bread Bowls

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups warm water (105° to 115°)
• 2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water

Preparation

Stir together 2 1/2 cups water and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in salt and oil.

Add flour gradually, beating at medium speed with an electric mixer until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (4 to 6 minutes). Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 35 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down, and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4-inch round loaf. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal.

Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 35 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Stir together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; brush over loaves.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks. Freeze up to 1 month, if desired.

Cut a 1/2-inch-thick slice from top of each loaf; scoop out centers, leaving 3/4-inch-thick shells. (Reserve centers for other uses.) Fill bread bowls with hot soup, and serve immediately.