Cheese for breadbowls

[JustJoel]

I have recently become enamored of breadbowls. Not the kind that they serve chowder in on the wharf; tearing out the bread to make a hollow just seems wasteful to me, and there’s just too much bread.

I make a dough, depending on what kind of soup I’m looking forward to, stretch it over inverted mini pie tins, place another pie tin on top of each, then turn them right side up and fill the top tins with dried beans. 400°F oven. After about 5 minutes, remove the top tins and the beans and continue baking until the crust is just turning brown. Don’t overbake, or you’ll have a real bowl that you could probably put in the dishwasher!

Last week, I made a creamy minestrone enriched with an egg yolk. I was afraid it was too liquid and would soak through the bowl’s bottom, so I lined the bottom with a slice of Provolone, melted it a bit, let the cheese set, then poured in the hot soup. Perfect!

So my question: I’d like to do the same thing with some New England clam chowder (I like mine a bit thinner than most) but can’t think of a cheese that would pair well with clams. I was thinking a mild cheese like Monterey Jack, or a mild Swiss. What say you, friends?

 

[blissful]

Provolone is great, it can be as mild as mozzarella or a little spicy like a 'poor man's parmesan'. You want mild and meltable--so brick cheese, or like you said, monterey jack, a farmer cheese or a young colby. A good swiss will not be mild, but most swisses, in the US are mild because they are regulated and not aged for a long time. Those would be inexpensive and good.

Clams would be overpowered with a strong cheese so I say go with mild like you were saying.

You were talking about a bowl for soup but I was thinking 'bowl'.....I've seen the middle of an aged wheel of parmasan, center carved out, then melted, then the spaghetti dipped and rolled in the melty center, and then served on a plate (just the spaghetti part). I gotta have that some day.

And for something more solid than soup, a cheese bowl is an option.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg4XK5hXzEQ

 

[blissful]

On a whim I made the parmesan cheese bowls for our busketti. I used 2% milk when I made the parmesan and the cheese bowls were a little too rich. Next time, instead, I'll just make a couple fricos the size of crackers. It would be less rich if you used the green canister of grated parmesan, they'd be thinner and work out better. I've made the fricos with the green canister cheese and they turn out great.

 

[Rocklobster]

They use Gruyere with snails, so it may go well with clams??

 

[buckytom]

When I think New England, as in chowdah, I often think of Vermont cheddar and maple syrup as well.

Maybe you could use a thin slice or slices of a young, not so sharp cheddar?

But otherwise, the best melty cheeses are Fontina, Gouda, Provolone, Mozzarella, and Gruyere.

 

[JustJoel]

They use Gruyere with snails, so it may go well with clams??

That makes sense, somehow, although I’ve never had escargot prepared with cheese. I’ve got some gruyere in the fridge!

 

[dragnlaw]

I have to say I just love soup/etc in bread bowls. And I usually eat the innards as well.

It is true though, the only thing I have against them, is because I eat the whole thing and then have no room left for anything else.

Might be an idea to try for smaller bowls? How "low can you go?"

 

[CharlieD]

I have recently become enamored of breadbowls. Not the kind that they serve chowder in on the wharf; tearing out the bread to make a hollow just seems wasteful to me, and there’s just too much bread.

I make a dough, depending on what kind of soup I’m looking forward to, stretch it over inverted mini pie tins, place another pie tin on top of each, then turn them right side up and fill the top tins with dried beans. 400°F oven. After about 5 minutes, remove the top tins and the beans and continue baking until the crust is just turning brown. Don’t overbake, or you’ll have a real bowl that you could probably put in the dishwasher!

Do you have picture of that?

 

[JustJoel]

Here’s a pic. I hope.





As you can see, I’m not a professional photographer!

 

[Janet H]

Great idea! I have some pizza dough in the freezer that should be great for this and some black beans soaking for soup as we speak.

How do you think crusting the dough with sesame seeds would work?

 

[CharlieD]

View attachment 29420

View attachment 29421

As you can see, I’m not a professional photographer!

works for me and looks good too, both picture and the bread bowl.

 

[dragnlaw]

Looks great Joel!

Janet, that's a terrific idea with the sesame seeds. Depending on the soup you can use either white or black or a mix of both seeds!

 

[JustJoel]

Great idea! I have some pizza dough in the freezer that should be great for this and some black beans soaking for soup as we speak.

How do you think crusting the dough with sesame seeds would work?

Sesame seeds would make a great addition! I also pressed parm into one batch just before forming the bowls. It made a crusty, salty base for my soup.