Anonymous wrote:Two suggestions:
1) Put some ice cubes in the oven when you add the dough to the oven...the resulting steam will help slow down the crust formation
2) Put a slightly damn towel on top of the bowls right after you take them out of the oven.

I bake bread a lot. I use steam to build a crispy crust. Don’t add ice cubes if you want it soft.

Two suggestions:
1) Put some ice cubes in the oven when you add the dough to the oven...the resulting steam will help slow down the crust formation
2) Put a slightly damn towel on top of the bowls right after you take them out of the oven.

Forgot to mention, that you can also sub out some of the water with scalded milk. It should make for a softer bread. And since substituting water with milk is not 1:1 (Add about 10% more milk), if you leave the amounts the same, you'll end up with a less slack dough. Be aware however that milk caramelizes the bread faster, so you will have to turn your temperature down a bit. Otherwise, you'll end up with a burned outside/underbaked inside.

What if you let them cool and then reheat in foil so they soften?

Wetter doughs tend to crisp more on the outside. I'd try cutting the water down a bit, to see if that works. But bear in mind that it might affect the structural integrity of your bread. What you're making will essentially be like rolls.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t make bread bowls, but maybe you can compare your recipe to this one.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-bread-bowls/

These are the exact ones I make!

I don’t make bread bowls, but maybe you can compare your recipe to this one.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-bread-bowls/

I make these homemade bread bowls that DH loves — bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil — but DH complains about how crispy the crust is. If I replace all or part of the water with milk, will they have a softer crust?