Recipe Girl®

Tomato Basil Bread

May 22, 2022

sliced tomato basil bread on a bread board

There are some great flavors going on in this Tomato Basil Bread. 

sliced tomato basil bread on a bread board

Homemade white bread and wheat bread are certainly fabulous. But sometimes it’s nice to shake things up a bit and make something different. Enjoy this Tomato Basil Bread with pasta, or use it to make a grilled cheese sandwich. Yum!

ingredients displayed to make tomato basil bread

Ingredients needed:

  • granulated white sugar
  • warm water
  • active dry yeast
  • whole fresh basil leaves
  • white whole wheat flour
  • salt
  • canned crushed tomatoes
  • extra virgin olive oil

four photos showing how to make tomato basil bread dough

How to make Tomato Basil Bread:

The full, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

In a large bowl, dissolve ⅛ teaspoon of sugar in the water and sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir and then let rest until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If you have a stand mixer, do this in the bowl of your stand mixer).
 
Using kitchen scissors to prevent bruising, snip the basil leaves into small ribbons and set aside..
 
Add the basil to the yeast mixture, plus 3 cups of flour along with the remaining sugar, salt, well-drained tomatoes and olive oil. Stir vigorously to form a dough, adding remaining flour as needed until dough comes together and isn’t so sticky. (If you have a stand mixer, add these ingredients to the bowl and let the dough hook do the mixing. Then you can let the dough hook do the kneading for 5 to 10 minutes. Add basil and knead until smooth and elastic. Skip to step 5).
 
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle the dough with the basil and incorporate as you knead.
 
Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough inside, turning it over in the oil, and cover with a clean dish towel. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

two photos bread dough in pan and then risen

Return the dough to the floured surface and punch it down. Shape into a 9×5-inch loaf. (You can either shape it freeform and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, or place it into a greased loaf pan.) Cover with the dish towel and put loaf in warm place to rise for another hour.

loaf of tomato basil bread in a pan

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until hollow sounding when tapped. Cool on a wire rack
 
Note: we opted to bake this version of tomato basil bread in a loaf pan. That makes it turn out more like a sandwich loaf, and it’s easy to slice for sandwiches. If you prefer, you can shape it into a round and bake it that way. If you do this, it’s more functional to use it for serving with pasta and salad.

loaf of bread on a board sliced

Little flecks of fresh basil and plenty of tomato flavor make this bread quite unique. I think you’ll be happy with the results. Enjoy!

stack of three bread slices

The Best Bread Recipes:

 

Tomato-Basil Bread
Print

Tomato Basil Bread

This recipe makes one loaf of a uniquely delicious yeast based bread.
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Keyword basil, bread
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes
Servings 12 servings (1 loaf)
Calories 160kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar, divided
  • ¾ cup warm water (105°F. to 115°F)
  • One .25-ounce envelope active dry yeast
  • 30 whole basil leaves, stems removed
  • 3 to 4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¾ cup canned crushed tomatoes (drained)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, dissolve ⅛ teaspoon of sugar in the water and sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir and then let rest until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If you have a stand mixer, do this in the bowl of your stand mixer).
  • Using kitchen scissors to prevent bruising, snip the basil leaves into small ribbons and set aside..
  • Add to the yeast mixture, 3 cups of flour along with the remaining sugar, salt, well-drained tomatoes and olive oil. Stir vigorously to form a dough, adding remaining flour as needed until dough comes together and isn't so sticky. (If you have a stand mixer, add these ingredients to the bowl and let the dough hook do the mixing. Then you can let the dough hook do the kneading for 5 to 10 minutes. Add basil and knead until smooth and elastic. Skip to step 5).
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle the dough with the basil and incorporate as you knead.
  • Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough inside, turning it over in the oil, and cover with a clean dish towel. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.
  • Return the dough to the floured surface and punch it down. Shape into a 9x5-inch loaf. (You can either shape it freeform and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, or place it into a greased loaf pan.) Cover with the dish towel and put loaf in warm place to rise for another hour.
  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until hollow sounding when tapped. Cool on a wire rack

Notes

  • Drain your crushed tomatoes well. Sometimes they can end up adding more liquid to the bread and thus making the bread a little more sticky. If it appears too sticky and isn't coming together, just add more flour until it feels right.
  • To simulate a warm place for rising, turn your oven to 400 degrees for 1 minute. Turn off the oven and turn on the oven light. Place the bread bowl in the closed oven to rise, with a dish towel covering the top. Make sure the oven is OFF!
  • Serve as bread with an Italian dinner, or sliced up for sandwiches.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 408mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 98IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Tomato Basil Bread appeared first on Recipe Girl®.

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