Spicy Taco Soup in Cumin Spiked Bread Bowls

When it comes to making dough of any kind I am always ready!!  When I saw a new recipe on the King Arthur web site for bread bowls spiked with cumin it was go time for me!  Taco soup is a favorite of my husband's and sounded just right for spicy bread bowls made with corn meal as well as flour.

They turned out fine but I would make fewer, thus larger balls of dough the next time.  This recipe yielded 8 small bowls and would be perfect for a family with young children.  I would have been happier with 4 larger bowls for my purposes. At any rate they are good and I double wrapped them and set them into the deep freeze until today.  We are looking at dropping temperatures and snow tonight so it is time to stir up the soup!!



Spicy Bread Bowls Ingredients:

1 1/4 C. water at 110 degrees F.
1/4 C. vegetable oil (I am using safflower)
3 C. unbleached all purpose flour (King Arthur is my choice)
1/2 C. yellow corn meal
1 T. cumin
1 1/4 t. coarse salt
1 T. sugar
3 T. potato starch (or 1/2 C. dry potato flakes)
2 T. nonfat dry milk (or coffee creamer)
1 scant Tablespoon of instant yeast

Combine all of the ingredients and mix them by hand, mixer, or bread machine, to make a smooth dough.  Oil a large bowl and place the smooth ball into the bottom, turning once to coat with oil.  Cover well with plastic or a clean tea towel an set in a warm place to rise for about 90 minutes until doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate thee dough and divide it either into 8 small or 4 large balls, depending on your families needs.  (You could make 4 small and 2 large for that matter!)

Stagger the balls on a lightly greased or parchment lined half sheet pan. (I used sil-pat liners.)  Cover and let rise for about 90 minutes until noticeably puffed.  About 20 minutes before the second rising time has elapsed preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake for 25-35 minutes until light golden brown.  Remove from the oven and keep them on the pan to cool.  When completely cool you may opt to double wrap for freezing or proceed to make the bread bowls. 

To make the bread bowls cut off the top 1/3 of each bun and hollow out.  Reserve for breadcrumbs, if desired.


 Spicy Taco Soup Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground round
1 pound ground turkey
1 C. dehydrated onions or 2 C. fresh diced
1, 15 1/2 Oz. can pinto beans
1, 15 1/2 Oz. can kidney beans
1, 15 1/2 Oz. can Niblet corn, drained
1, 14 1/2 Oz. can Mexican flavored tomatoes
1, 14 1/2 Oz. can tomatoes with chilies
1, 14 1/2 Oz. can chili flavored tomatoes
2, 4 1/2 Oz. cans diced green chilies
1 large can sliced black olives drained
1, 1 1/4 th Oz. pkg. Taco seasoning mix
1, 1 Oz pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix
 Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Brown the meats and onions together in the bottom of a soup kettle and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer over very low heat for about an hour or transfer to a crock pot and simmer on lowest setting for 6-8 hours.

To serve corn chips, sour cream, grated cheese, chopped onions, or diced avocado may be passed with bowls of the steaming soup or serve in spicy bread bowls with garnish as desired.

Yield 6-8 servings.