Sourdough Bread Bowl with Clam Chowder

You ever have that food that just makes all your cares in the world disappear? I do. For me, it's clam chowder in a bread bowl. For years, my family and I would go down to the wharf in San Francisco, where we'd stop and eat clam chowder. Not just any clam chowder though, it just had to be in a sourdough bread bowl. It was amazing, Even if we couldn't get to San Francisco, we'd stop by at the local Boudin and get a sandwich and the chowder in a bread bowl. Now, in Iowa, I can't find another place like it. It's one of my favorite foods, and I can't even find any place to buy a single sourdough bread bowl. Therefore, I made my own!

I made the sourdough starter a couple days beforehand. It was teasing me all 3 days it sat on the counter. I wanted my sourdough bread then, I didn't want to wait. But I did. Sadly.



The bowl turned out okay. It wasn't sourdoughy enough, but after a few more feedings to the starter, I think it will turn out okay, once it really starts going. But, the bowl was the perfect size, the crust was nice and crispy, and the inside dough was perfect and dense. I was still pleased with it, I put some canned clam chowder in there, sprinkled with pepper and some chives. It was worth the wait, really.