Combine the water, sugar and sea salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes or until a layer of foam appears on the top of the liquid.

Turn the mixer onto low speed and add in the flour, one cup at a time and mix thoroughly. I used a full five cups of flour, but you may need a little more or a little less depending on how wet your dough is. Increase the speed to medium and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl.

While the dough is kneading, oil a large glass bowl. Turn the dough out onto the counter and shape it into a ball. Place the ball into the oiled glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and store in a warm place for about an hour until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpain/Silpat liner or parchment paper.

In a large pot bring 8 cups of water to a simmer with the baking soda.

Meanwhile, divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll them into evenly-shaped balls. One by one, place the balls of dough into the boiling water for 1 minute, turning once. Remove the dough from the water and return to the Silpain/Silpat liner.

Mix the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush the tops of each bread bowl with the egg mixture and then sprinkle with coarse salt. Slit an “x” into the top of each bowl.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. When done remove the pans from the oven and transfer bread to a cooling rack.

Adapted from Alton Brown via Food Network.