This tomato loaf is incredibly delicious and when I make it I have to really force myself to not sneak into the kitchen to steal a little slice when no one is looking! I often lose that battle with myself which is probably why I don’t make it often or else I fear I would regret it!

Bread is such a rewarding thing to bake though; I enjoy it immensely, far more than baking sweet things. I can’t tell you why exactly – maybe it’s because I can see it rise and grow, maybe it’s because I’ll take a fresh loaf over a cake any day… regardless, I highly recommend you give this bread a go!

Ingredients:

• 300g strong wholemeal flour
• 300g strong white flour
• 400ml luke-warm water
• one sachet of dried fast action yeast (7g)
• 50g tomato puree
• two tablespoons of olive oil
• one tablespoon sugar
• one tablespoon salt
• one teaspoon garlic granules
• two teaspoons dried herbs

Method:

• Set the oven temp to 200c or 180c fan. In a large bowl, combine the flours and mix to combine.
• Measure the water into a jug and stir in the yeast, oil and tomato puree.
• Add the garlic, salt, sugar and herbs in with the flour and mix together. Add the water/yeast/tomato mixture to the dry ingredients & roughly combine.
• Tip the dough out on a lightly oiled (or floured) work surface and knead the dough for around 10 minutes.
• Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until its doubled in size.
• Once its doubled in size, remove from the bowl and knock back the air in the dough. Knead it gently for a couple of minutes and shape it however way you want. Place the dough onto an oven tray and cover with the tea towel once more for 30 minutes to expand again.
• When the second rise is complete, use a sharp knife to make a few slashes in the top of the bread. I find a sharp serrated knife works best. These slash marks prevent the bread tearing and rising unevenly in the oven.
• Bake the dough for 50-60 minutes. The best way to check if the bread is done is by turning it over and tapping the underside. If it sounds hollow then its done. Leave the loaf to cool on a wire rack for an hour at least before eating.

Enjoy! 🌱