How to Make an Edible Bread Basket
Learn how to make a bread basket the easy way. You'll make it with a simple twist method instead of having to create a complicated braid. And best of all, this bread basket is edible! (Be sure to read the Recipe Notes for important tips to help you more easily make this edible bread basket.)
Servings: 1 Bread basket
Equipment
- 2 Medium ovenproof stainless steel bowls The bowls should have a 9 to 9 1/2-inch diameter opening. The bowl used to make the basket (as opposed to just the handle) should have an approximately 25-inch circumference at its widest part and be approximately 7 inches in height. The bowl used to make the handle should measure approximately 12 inches when turned upside down and measured across the outside of the bowl from rim to rim.
- 2 Cooling racks, approximately 10" x 10" Optionally, you could use one large one.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Warm water 110°F if using active dry yeast, 130°F if using instant yeast. (Basically feeling like warm bath water.)
- 4 1/2 teaspoons Active dry or instant yeast Or two small packages of either yeast.
- 1 tablespoon Sugar I used organic white cane sugar.
- 1 tablespoon Salt I used fine ground sea salt.
- 2 tablespoons Butter, unsalted and softened You will need additional butter to grease the bowls.
- 6 -7 cups Flour, all-purpose or bread flour I used all-purpose flour.
- 1 large Egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon Whole milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the water, yeast, and sugar.
- To the bowl, add 3 cups of flour, the softened butter, and the salt. Mix well until all the flour is completely moistened and well incorporated.
- Begin adding one cup of flour to the bowl until you have a stiff dough. After you have added the 6th cup of flour, but do not yet have a stiff dough, begin adding the flour in 1/4 cup increments. (I used 6 3/4 cups of flour to obtain the correct consistency.)
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer. If so, you will knead the dough for approximately 4 minutes on low using a dough hook.)
- Wash and dry the original large bowl and then use additional softened butter to grease the bowl. Place the kneaded dough into the bowl and turn the dough to thoroughly coat it with butter. Cover the bowl with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour until it has doubled in bulk.
- While the dough is rising, grease the outer-side exterior and rim of both stainless steel bowls. (See video). Place each bowl on a greased cooling rack. Set aside. (For additional helpful information for preparing the bowls, see the Recipe Notes below.)
- Once the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down and divide it into approximately 16 pieces.
- Take two pieces and roll them each out to approximately 14 inches. Even though the underside of your bowl will measure 12 inches, you want to give yourself a bit of extra length to be able to attach the dough to the rim of the bowl. Take one end of one roll and pinch it to the end of the other roll and then twist the two pieces together to make a "mock" braid.
- Lay this braid across the exterior of one of the greased stainless steel bowls pinching each end to the rim of the bowl to hold it in place. This single braid on a bowl will create your bread basket handle. (See video.)
- Take the remaining 14 pieces of dough and roll each one out to approximately 25 inches. Take one end of one roll and pinch it to the end of the anther roll and then twist the two pieces together to make a "mock" braid. Take this first braid and begin wrapping it around the exterior of the remaining stainless steel bowl, starting at the rim of the bowl. You are now creating your bread basket on the second bowl. (See video.)
- Continue twisting two rolls together and wrapping them around the exterior of the stainless steel bowl, securing each twist to the previous twist by pinching the dough together until the entire bowl is wrapped in twists of dough.
- Cover the basket and handle with a damp towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- While the basket and handle are resting, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- After 30 minutes, remove the damp towel from the basket and handle and transfer both bowls with the cooling racks to the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake the basket and handle for approximately 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. (See Recipe Notes below.)
- Once the basket and handle are finished baking, remove them from the oven and place them on a heatproof surface. Allow them to cool completely before removing the stainless steel bowls.
- Once cooled, attach the handle using toothpicks or wooden screwers that have been cut into 3 to 4-inch pieces.
- Your edible bread basket is now ready to be filled with rolls or any bread of your choice. Place it on your holiday table and enjoy!
Video
Notes
I adapted this recipe from the book titled A Yankee Christmas, Volume 2 (1993) by Sally Ryder Brady. (The original recipe is titled "Bread Basket" and is on page 51 of the book.)
Initially, I used the original recipe, but after working through this recipe, I discovered a number of tips I want to share with you that improve on the original recipe:
- You can use an electric stand mixer to make this dough or mix it by hand with a wooden spoon.
- If possible, grease and flour the bowls before wrapping them with the dough. And better yet, if you can manage it, wrap the bowls with greased and floured non-stick parchment paper.
- Every oven is different, and this basket may take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to bake completely and turn a delightful golden brown. If the top of either the basket or the handle begins to brown too quickly, tent the tops with foil to allow them to finish baking without over-browning.
- Allow both the handle and the bread basket to cool completely before removing the bowls.
- Instead of the originally recommended toothpicks, you may want to try using wooden skewers that you can cut into 3" to 4" pieces that will better secure the handle to the basket.