Tomato Herb Bread
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Tomato Herb Bread is an easy to make savory bread that combines fresh tomatoes, Italian herbs, garlic, and cheddar cheese.
Every year I seem to get a ton of tomatoes at the end of the summer. People either give them to me from their garden or I buy them at the farmer’s market.
The kicker is that I don’t really like tomatoes unless they are cooked. Usually when I get a bunch of tomatoes I make Fresh Vegetable Salsa to can for later or I make and can my homemade Hot Sauce.
This time around I made a batch of my Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce. We ate half of it and I froze the other half for another time. So I didn’t really want to make another sauce.
I wanted to make something a little different and I saw a recipe for Tomato Bread. I thought it sounded interesting and after reading that it had plenty of herbs in it, used a lot of tomatoes, and added in cheddar cheese I was sold.
Ingredients:
- all purpose flour (this is the base of your bread)
- baking powder (baking powder is used to help the bread rise since there is no yeast in this bread)
- sea salt (I went with sea salt because I wanted to taste the salt against the tomatoes in the bread)
- egg
- vegetable oil (I usually prefer to use butter in my quick breads but in this recipe the oil really worked best)
- milk (I used whole milk but you can use skim or plant based)
- cheddar cheese (this added a sharp flavor to the bread)
- garlic cloves (garlic adds a depth of flavor and a spiciness to the bread)
- fresh tomatoes (use your favorite type of fresh tomatoes)
- fresh basil (adds a unique flavor that is both herbaceous and slightly sweet with hints of pepper and anise)
- fresh oregano (adds a distinct and robust flavor with an earthy and slightly bitter notes)
Since this is a quick bread it doesn’t require any yeast. It also doesn’t need any rising time so you can bake the loaf and have it baked in about an hour.
What is a quick bread?
Quick bread is a type of bread that is leavened without the use of yeast. Instead of yeast, quick breads use baking powder and baking soda to create the rising effect. These leavening agents react with moisture and acid to produce carbon dioxide which causes the bread to rise and become light and fluffy.
To make the bread combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Combine the oil, eggs, and milk in a separate bowl. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix well.
Next, stir in the cheese. The batter will be pretty thick but that’s fine. Then combine the chopped garlic, tomatoes, basil, and oregano in a food processor.
Can I use canned tomatoes?
If you don’t have access to fresh tomatoes you can use canned tomatoes in a pinch. They will not add as much flavor to the bread but they can be substituted. They may also cause the bread dough to be a little wetter so you may need to add a few extra tablespoons of flour to the dough.
Fold the tomato mixture into the dough. Mix until fully combined. Scoop the batter into a loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Can I use Different herbs?
You can use any fresh or dried herbs that you like. I’d stick with more Italian herbs since it’s a tomato and cheese bread but you can use anything you’d like. Good additions would be parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, or marjoram.
Once your bread is out of the oven let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it onto a cooling rack. Allow it to cool to room temperature before slicing. If you slice it hot it may fall apart.
This bread is really tasty yet unusual. The flavor of the fresh tomatoes in definitely in the forefront followed up with the fresh herbs and cheese.
Tomato bread is great served with pasta, soups, or topped with an egg for breakfast! You can also make the best savory grilled cheese using this bread. The possibilities are endless!
Tomato Quick Bread
Ingredients
- 3 c. all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1/3 c. whole milk
- 1 c. cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 lb. fresh tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another medium sized bowl combine the egg, oil, and milk. Mix well.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese.
- Place the garlic, tomatoes, basil, and oregano in a food processor. Pulse until the tomatoes are chopped but the mixture is not completely smooth.
- Fold the tomato mixture into the batter. The batter should be thick but moist.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cook completely.
Notes
