Sun-dried Tomato Bread

Yesterday I blogged about Fontina and Prosciutto Chicken which I served with this Sun-dried Tomato Bread.

I pulled this recipe from The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia, I made some adjustments to the ingredients I had on hand. It turned out very flavorful, with a great crust. With the leftover bread, we topped slices with grated mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan, melted the cheese under the broiler, and served with marinara dipping sauce. Yum!

printable recipe

Sun-dried Tomato Bread

yield: 2 small loaves

3 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp oil from jar of sun-dried tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup drained sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Allow yeast to dissolve for a few minutes in the warm water.

In a small saucepan over low heat, dissolve the tomato paste in the milk.

With a wooden spoon or a dough hook on low speed, mix the yeast/water mixture into the flour mixture.

Add the milk/tomato paste mixture along with the oils and mix well. Gradually mix the flour into the liquid ingredients, until a dough is formed.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. I did most of the kneading process with the KitchenAid on medium speed.

Place in a greased bowl, turn to coat, and cover. Place in a warm oven and allow to rise for about an hour.

Punch dough down and knead in the tomatoes and onion until evenly distributed. Form the dough into two balls. Place the balls of dough on a greased baking sheet and return to the warm oven. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake the bread for about 45 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when you lift them up and tap the bottoms with your fingers. Allow to cool on a wire rack.