Creamy Clam Chowder Bread (Print Version)

A hearty dish featuring tender clams, smoky bacon, and creamy potatoes in a crusty sourdough bowl.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb canned chopped clams, drained (reserve juice)
02 - 1 cup reserved clam juice (plus bottled clam juice if needed)

→ Meats

03 - 4 oz thick-cut bacon, diced

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 10.5 oz)

→ Dairy

07 - 2 cups whole milk
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Pantry

10 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
11 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ For Serving

15 - 4 small round sourdough bread loaves
16 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Slice the tops off sourdough loaves and hollow out centers, leaving a ½-inch thick edge. Reserve tops.
02 - In a large pot over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon; retain 2 tablespoons bacon fat in pot.
03 - Add butter to bacon fat. Sauté onion and celery for 4–5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
04 - Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to create a roux.
05 - Gradually whisk in reserved clam juice and bottled clam juice if needed to total 1 1/2 cups liquid. Add diced potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a simmer.
06 - Cover and cook for 12–15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
07 - Stir in milk and cream. Return to gentle simmer without boiling. Add clams and half the cooked bacon. Simmer 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
08 - Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf. Ladle chowder into bread bowls. Garnish with remaining bacon and chopped parsley. Serve with reserved bread tops immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You get to eat your bowl when you're done, which feels like a small victory every single time.
  • The bacon fat base makes everything taste richer without any pretension.
  • It comes together in an hour and tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
02 -
  • Never let the chowder boil hard once you add the cream, or it will separate and look grainy instead of silky.
  • If your clam juice tastes too strong, cutting it with store-bought clam juice mellows it without losing that ocean flavor.
03 -
  • The ratio of bacon fat to flour is what keeps this from tasting heavy—don't skimp or substitute with oil, because fat carries flavor in ways oil can't.
  • Taste as you season and remember that clams are already salty, so you need less salt than you'd think.

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