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 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water(be sure it's not too warm)
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp 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 tsp 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.