Tomato Basil Bread
A blend of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and herbs into a delicious loaf of yeast bread
Ingredients
Tomato Basil Blender Mixture
- 3 cups roasted chopped tomatoes OR one 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 4 Tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes up to 1/4 cup more for more tomato flavor
- ½ cup fresh basil or 2 Tablespoons dried basil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup water more or less
Tomato Basil Bread Dough
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 7-8 cups all purpose flour
Instructions
Tomato Basil Blender Mixture
- For fresh garden tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop tomatoes and add to a liquid measuring cup until you have 3 cups of chopped tomatoes. Spread tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 15-20 minutes and allow to cool before proceeding with the recipe. Alternatively you can use one 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes.
- To a blender, add the roasted or diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes (if you absolutely love tomato flavor you can add up to ¼ cup more sun-dried tomatoes), basil, oregano, rosemary, salt and garlic powder. Blend until smooth.
- Add as much water as needed (about a cup) to make 3 ½ cups of liquid. The amount of liquid in different types of tomatoes will vary. This is the easiest way to standardize the recipe. My blender has measurements on the side so I know exactly how much water to add. If yours doesn’t have measurements, you could add the tomato mixture to a large liquid measuring cup (affiliate link) or measure the liquid as you pour it into your mixer and add enough water to make 3 ½ cups.
- Double check that your tomato basil liquid is cool to the touch or lightly warm (you don’t want to do all that work and then kill the yeast).
Tomato Basil Bread Dough
- To a stand mixer, add the tomato basil liquid, granulated sugar, yeast, vegetable oil and salt. Stir together. Using a dough hook, add the flour a cup at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and can be pinched off and rolled into a ball in your fingers with just a little bit of sticky residue left over. Check out this post for how to check for readiness of the dough.
- Knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes. Add a splash of oil to a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, turning the dough around so it is covered lightly in the oil.
- Cover the bowl of dough with a kitchen towel and let rise for about an hour or until doubled in size. The temperature of your kitchen will affect how long it takes for the bread to rise.
- Punch down the risen dough, turn out on the counter and cut the dough in half. This recipe makes two loaves of bread. Shape the dough into a rectangle with the smallest side of the rectangle facing you. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll up the dough into a cylinder shape. Take care to press in the dough at the seam after each roll and pinch the seam closed at the end.
- Transfer the dough, seam side-down to a bread pan. I use an 8.5 by 4.5 bread pan (affiliate link). Repeat with the second loaf of bread.
- Allow the dough to rise again for about an hour, covered and in a warm place. The dough should just rise a little bit over the top of the bread pan (it will rise more in the oven).
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread for 37-40 minutes. Top with melted butter if desired. Let the loaves cool completely before slicing and enjoying.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!