i am intimately rearranged: broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl

i've always loved to cook, but since moving to tennessee i've really been getting creative and trying new things....just trying to be consistent in my life choices :) so twice now i've made bread bowls, and maybe 5 or 6 times i've made broccoli cheese soup since it's ashlee's favorite. i'm not a recipe user for anything except desserts and bread. i'm always experimenting, even with basics like pancakes. my last experiment with pancakes was adding apples, applesauce, honey, and cinnamon. it was a hit! anyway i posted on facebook about my soup/bread bowl first attempt and decided to make it again and attept to make a recipe out of it so others could follow because it was SO good! i've perfected a spaghetti sauce...i may have to write that one down too, because it was such a hit! it's chunky and full of italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. my lasagna was pretty awesome, too. it had everything mentioned above plus spinach, zucchini, and squash. yummmmmy! ok so here's my broccoli cheese soup/bread bowl recipe, complete with pictures! :)

broccoli cheese soup

3 cans chicken broth
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 bayleaf
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 cups broccoli florets (frozen or fresh)
1 cup milk

make a roux of the 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup milk. sautee the chopped onions, garlic, and 3 tablespoons butter in skillet for 3-4 minutes. dump everything in a crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4. (my crockpot cooks hot, so adjust accordingly)

bread bowls

2 packages active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all purpose flour
((i also added 2 teaspoons garlic powder and 2 teaspoons crushed basil for flavor))

1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

in a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture: beat well. stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition.

((since i'm impatient and my mixer is about to die, i just stirred it all in together. all 7 cups. worked really well actually. just kneaded the rest in))

when the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. cover with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

((boil some water and stick it on the bottom rack of your oven and let it rise in there with the door shut))

punch dough down, and divide into 8 equal portions. shape each portion into a 4 inch round loaf. place loaves on lightly greased and baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

((reboil water, and do the oven thing again))

preheat oven to 400 degrees. in a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash.

bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. cool on wire racks.

to make bowls, cut a 1/2 inch thick slice from top of each loaf; scoop out centers, leaving shells. fill bread bowls with hot soup and serve immediately. duh.