Roasted Tomato Bread
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Tomatoes are roasted to coax out maximum flavor and sweetness and baked into a loaf of yeast bread with fresh herbs. This incredible Roasted Tomato Bread recipe is guaranteed to be a hit!
Homemade Roasted Tomato Herb Bread
Fresh tomatoes. Roasted until sweet. Fresh garden herbs. Combined and kneaded into yeast dough. Fresh from the oven. Fragrant and flavorful. Soft, tender, and delicately chewy. Perfectly sliceable for your deli-quality sandwiches.
Youd’ better make two loaves while you’re at it because I promise you’ll be so happy you did!
This is a “Make a Request!” fulfillment for Carmen Sanchez back in 2013. She wrote, “I have looked all over the internet to no avail…for a recipe I used to have back in the late 70′s…Herbed Tomato Bread. It was the best!” Carmen, I don’t know what that particular bread tasted like, but I know what this one tastes like – and you are going to l.o.v.e. it! I had a lot of fun developing this recipe and am so happy you put in the request! This is now one of my favorite breads and one that I will make again and again.
The timing was perfect. My husband I were leaving for our anniversary trip to Astoria Oregon the day after I made this and so I used the leftover bread to make some sandwiches for the drive down. The fragrance of the bread filled the car within minutes – those freshly roasted tomatoes and garden herbs. Were weren’t on the road very long before I caved and gobbled that sandwich right up. This bread is amazing. I think you could almost slap a piece of cardboard on this bread and it would still taste incredible! I’m confident you won’t find a better tomato & herb bread anywhere.
Roasted Tomato Bread Recipe
Let’s get started!
You can use regular tomatoes for this recipe, but I happened to have some cherry tomatoes on hand that needed to be used, and I actually prefer using them for this bread – they’re ideal for roasting.
Roast the tomatoes, drizzled with 1 tablespoon olive oil, in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until they start to blister.
Puree the tomatoes.
Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Combine the water, honey and olive oil in a bowl.
Add the yeast and stir to combine.
Make a well in the flour and add the pureed roasted tomatoes.
Add the water/yeast mixture.
Get a generous amount of herbs. You’ll need about 1/4 cup chopped. I used a variety: Oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, dill, sage, rosemary.
Add the chopped herbs.
Attach a dough hook to the stand mixer and knead on the bread setting/medium for about 8 minutes. If too sticky, add some flour, a little bit at a time, and continue kneading. If too stiff and dry, add a little bit of water and continue to knead.
Remove the dough and form into a ball. Lightly spray the bowl with olive oil and roll the dough ball around in it. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place.
Let it rise for about an hour or until it is nearly doubled in size.
Remove the dough and place it on a flat surface. Divide it in half.
Form each half into a 8 inch square, about the length of the bread pan.
Starting at the furthest end, roll the dough towards you, tucking it in as you roll it so it’s tight.
Pinch the seam together.
Lay the dough seam side down in a greased 9×5 loaf pan. Make sure the dough is evenly spread in the pan and is touching all sides.
Repeat for the second loaf.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise.
Let it rise for another 20-30 minutes or until the dough has risen a ways above the bread pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack in the oven and pour two cups of boiling water in it (this will create a nice steam bath for the bread while its baking for optimal rise and texture.) Place the loaf pans on the rack just above it and bake for it for 40-50 minutes or until the top of the bread is browned and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap on it with your knuckles.
Remove the bread from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
Slice your bread and enjoy!
I promise you will!
Another great way to use this bread: Cube and toast the bread to make delicious salad croutons!
For more homemade bread recipes try my:
- German Bread (Vollkornbrot)
- Danish Rye Bread
- Lavash
- Injera
- Dosa
- Naan Bread
- Sourdough Naan
- Sourdough English Muffins
- Crumpets
- Olive Rosemary Focaccia
- Skillet Cornbread
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Roasted Tomato Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes or quartered Roma tomatoes
- Optional: For enhanced tomato flavor add 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil , drained and chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (e.g. SAF Instant)
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water (be sure it's not too warm)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cups all-purpose flour , or more or less as needed (the amount will depend on how much liquid remains in the tomatoes after roasting and blending them)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh Italian herbs (e.g., rosemary, basil, marjoram, thyme, sage, dill, oregano, parsley)
Instructions
- To roast the tomatoes, spread them out on an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and roast for 10-15 minutes or until the skins of the tomatoes are collapsed and just barely beginning to brown. Puree the tomatoes in a blender and set aside.Combine the water, yeast, honey and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.
- Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the tomatoes, the water/yeast mixture and the herbs. Stir with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula just until the ingredients are starting to come together, then attach a dough hook to the standing mixer and knead the dough for about 8 minutes on medium ("2" on a stand mixer). The dough will still be a little sticky and tacky. If it's too wet, add a little more flour until you get a workable consistency. Remove the dough from the bowl and roll into a ball.Lightly oil a clean bowl with oil and roll the dough ball around in it. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a lightly warmed oven (not too hot) for about an hour, until doubled in size.
- Remove the dough and place it on a flat surface. Divide it in half. Form each half into an 8-inch square about 1 inch thick. Starting at one end, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, making sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch the seam closed. Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan and gently shake the dough until all four sides touch the edges of the pan. Repeat with the other half. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and returned to a warm place until it is almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Boil 2 cups of water and pour it into a baking pan and place it on the bottom rack. If possible, place the loaf pans above the rack with the pan of boiling water. If not, place the boiling water in two smaller pans on either side of the loaf pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top of the bread is browned and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap on it with your knuckles.Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.Makes two 9×5 inch loaves.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet July 29, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
DANGER!!! You will want to eat the whole loaf in one sitting without sharing. This is a real tasty bread and very light and Airy. My garden is producing Tomatoes like crazy. so I chopped up a couple of cups of fresh Roma tomatoes. I didn’t have sun-dried tomatoes so I added some paprika and cumin for the Smoky flavor. Thank you for a great recipe. Now I will have to try some of your other bread recipes.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the bread, Gerard, thank you very much! <3
Did anyone use dried herbs, I don’t have fresh. Is it a 1/4 of each or all total of the herbs?
I made this yesterday using what I had on hand…no cherry tomatoes, but I did have oven roasted tomatoes nestled in olive oil. A freeze two days ago zapped my herb garden so I threw in some Italian dried herbs. Since the tomatoes were already in oil I only added 1 T to the bread recipe. The dough was incredibly stiff, but a little water helped. Then it was too sticky so a little flour helped there too. When I turned it out on my counter it sort of formed itself in a square so I rolled it up and plopped it in my pan (a little smaller than 9×5). I’ve been making sourdough bread for five years which gave me a little confidence in my alteration and the bread turned out great! No idea how much tomato puree I used and would like to know how much quantity 2 cups of pureed cherry tomatoes is. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Fantastic, Gerri, I’m so glad it was a success and appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Could I make this into dinner rolls, and if so, how long would they need to be baked being smaller in size than a loaf? Thanks in advance, looks amazing!
Hi Sheila, yes you can. I’d increase the temperature to 375 F and bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes. Happy baking! :)
I have been making your tomato bread recipe for a few years and it is the best! Always delicious and I like it with Boursin garlic snd herb soft spreadable cheese. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks so much, Dee, and I’m totally with you on the Boursin pairing!
This is such a delicious recipe! This is my second time to make it – I put some black olives in this time – can’t wait to taste – its on the first rise as I write this. I wish I’d read the comments above as I was mixing and used some garlic – that sounds like a great addition. Like others, I added more flour to be able to handle/form into a ball – should I have used only the roasted tomatoes and not the juice from the roasting pan? Thanks for sharing this delicious and beautiful recipe!
Thank you, Lori, I’m so glad you enjoyed it enough to make it again! The juice from the roasting pan…yes, the more liquid you add the more likely you will need to add a little extra flour, which is not a problem.
I followed the recipe exactly. But the dough was extremely sticky. Added probably 1 1/2 maybe more extra flour. I just kept adding flour but it was still too sticky. I have made bread for years so I KNEW it was too sticky. But it’s the first time I used olive oil in bread so I thought maybe it was supposed to be that way. However because of the extra flour I wound up with enough dough for two 8×4 loaves of bread. Baked at 350 for 30 min (because of the smaller pans), then 40 min, then 50 min, than 1 1/2 hour. Finally took it out of the pans and put in the oven with pans trying to get the bottom done. It stayed doughey on the bottom. I think the person that suggested measuring the tomato after it’s pureed might be right. I used a measuring cup and measured 2 cups/w juice. I guess they were too juicy. Oh my!
I absolutely love this recipe I’ve made it time and time again.
This summer I tried to do something different… I froze some of the tomato and Herb mixture in the quantity required for the recipe so midwinter I’m going to have a special summer treat 😉
Thanks so much, Renee, and good call!!
I reduced the amount of water and this was still a very slack dough. It rose beautifully and the texture was wonderful. I’d like a little stronger flavor in the bread, next time I will add a little tomato paste as others have and add some sun dried tomatoes as well. Thank you!
2 cups of tomatoes is a very vague amount of liquid. To make this recipe more accurate the puréed tomato liquid measure should be listed in the ingredients. I’m going to try this recipe anyway and hope for the best.
i made bread and used only tomato paste made from garden tomatoes, roasted tomatoes and then reduced on stove to most liquid was gone , then cooled and made recipe , turne out great. had about 1 cup paste….also made with i small can of tomato paste and had good results
Kimberly,
Over a decade ago the mother of my best friend used to make a sundried tomato and olive bread that I loved so much, I’d buy her out every Sunday at the farmers market. Even though her daughter was my best friend, she’d never share the recipe, and when we moved away I spent YEARS trying to recreate that perfect loaf of bread, but over and over, I failed.
It was never quite right, until today!
I made your recipe and added in a small can of sliced olives, plus a handful of sundried tomatoes. My loaf didn’t come out as pretty as yours, but holy Hannah, it’s EXACTLY the way I remember it!! I am in heaven right now, and you were so right. I should have just made two loaves, cause this one will disappear in the blink of an eye!
Thank you so much for aiding me in fulfilling my doughiest fantasies! You’re my HERO!!
Hooray!! I am absolutely thrilled to hear that, Isabel, thanks so much for the feedback!
Would love to make this recipe in my bread machine. Any thoughts?
I’ve made this bread before and it turned out amazing, just waiting for my second batch to finish it’s second rise. I do however have to add about 3 to 4 extra cups of flour to make the dough manageable, which seems odd, but it’s delicious. I also throw a few cloves of garlic in to roast with the tomatoes , and planning on adding sunflower seeds next time, if I ever get around to hulling the rest of the seeds we harvested last year.
Awesome, Nicola, I’m so glad you like it, thank you! But 3 to 4 extra cups of flour?? I don’t know how you’re getting anything other than rock hard loaf with that ratio of flour to liquid, but as long as it’s somehow turning out for you I guess that’s all that matters!
It turns out perfectly , which is strange…… I’m not sure if I’ve misinterpreted the recipe at some stage. Is the measure of tomatoes before or after they’ve been roasted and pureed? I thought it also might be a difference in sizes of cup measures (250 mls a cup here in New Zealand) but as I use the same measuring cups for both the wet and dry ingredients the ratio is still the same. Just about to bring one loaf and 6 rolls out of the oven , they look great :) Thanks again for the recipe. I haven’t made a lot of bread by hand, but after the tomato season we’ve had, I’ve been struggling to keep up with using them all so this recipe was perfect
I am not surprised. I just made a zucchini yeast bread that had similar proportions. I ended up basically pouring it into the bread pan. I am wondering about doing this with yeast with the flour and using the tomatoes and tomato juice as liquid.
Small town in Northern Utah here. I, too, wound up using a total of 6 cups of flour and my batch made two fabulous loaves of tomato bread. Out of this world for cheese toast, avocado toast, and sandwiches of every kind (except maybe peanut butter and jelly!😂). I am making another batch today. I’ll add some tomato paste as another commenter suggested.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Becca, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it!
If you don’t have fresh tomatoes or herbs on hand, how much would you need using canned tomatoes and dried herbs?
i used canned tomatoes, just make sure to strain tomatoes and use juice [+water if needed ] to make 1/2 cup liquid, if dry add extra 1/4 cup liquid….i found 1/2 cup liquid was plenty, since canned are wetter…..also added granulated garlic, WOW, i’m hooked
pam again, my husband thought it needed more tomato flavor , so made a second batch and added 2 ice cube sized cubes of tomato paste [homemade] and cut back on the water to 1/4 cp….even better than first…makes great crostini
I’ve been looking for an amazing tomato basil bread recipe. The last two I tried were disappointing. One wasn’t very flavorful, & the other didn’t rise! I honestly don’t think it was a user error either, as I’ve baked plenty of loaves of bread from scratch with no problem at all. At any rate, they say that the third time is a charm, & with your recipe that certainly proved true! Not only did this loaf rise beautifully, the flavor from all those fresh, fragrant herbs burst on my tongue at first bite, warm from the oven. I’m thrilled to have stumbled upon your perfect recipe for tomato basil bread. Thank you for posting! This recipe has been saved & filed away for future bread baking 😊
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Kristin, I’m glad you enjoyed this as much as we do and appreciate the feedback!