Creamy Spinach Dip Sourdough (Printable version)

A warm, creamy spinach blend baked inside a crusty sourdough bread bowl, ideal for sharing.

# What you need:

→ Bread Bowl

01 - 1 large round sourdough loaf (approximately 1.1 lbs)

→ Dip Base

02 - 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly squeezed dry
03 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
04 - 7 oz sour cream
05 - 4 oz mayonnaise
06 - 4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 5 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Aromatics and Seasonings

08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 small onion, finely diced
10 - 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
11 - 0.5 tsp kosher salt
12 - 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg

→ Garnish and Serving

13 - 1 Tbsp freshly chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley
14 - Assorted vegetable crudités, crackers, or torn bread pieces for dipping

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a serrated knife, slice off the top quarter of the sourdough loaf. Carefully hollow out the center, leaving a shell about 1 inch thick. Set aside the removed bread chunks to use as dippers.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Parmesan, mozzarella, minced garlic, diced onion, black pepper, salt, and nutmeg. Beat with a spoon or electric mixer until completely smooth and well incorporated.
03 - Add the squeezed-dry chopped spinach to the cheese mixture. Fold gently but thoroughly until the spinach is evenly distributed throughout the creamy base.
04 - Spoon the spinach mixture into the hollowed bread bowl, packing it lightly. Place the filled bowl on a baking sheet and loosely cover with the reserved bread top. Bake for 30 minutes until the dip is heated through and bubbling around the edges.
05 - Remove from the oven and discard or set aside the bread top. Sprinkle the hot dip generously with fresh chives or parsley. Serve immediately while warm, accompanied by the reserved bread pieces, raw vegetables, or crackers.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The bread bowl creates the ultimate edible serving vessel that keeps everything warm
  • People literally hover around this dip until its gone, every single time
  • The sourdough soaks up all those garlicky, cheesy flavors while it bakes
02 -
  • The spinach must be bone dry or your dip will separate and get watery
  • Don't cut the bread walls too thin or everything will collapse in the oven
  • This needs to be served hot—reheating leftovers never quite recreates the magic
03 -
  • Wrap the bread bowl in foil for the first 20 minutes if the crust is browning too fast
  • Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if your crowd likes things with a little kick

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