Tomato Basil Bread

Summer is the absolute BEST time to bake bread.  It’s also probably the last thing on your mind, and admittedly, heating up the kitchen by turning on the oven for an hour or so doesn’t sound all that appealing, but the weather is ideal for yeast dough.  The heat and humidity will cause even the heaviest loaf to rise and crown beautifully.

Having recently gone through the pantry at my dad’s house, tossing out items long past their due date (Just in case you’re wondering, after EIGHT years – you read that right – canned crab claw meat turns black.), I started to eye my own pantry.  A jar of sun dried tomato pesto jumped out at me.  After the great success I had with the pesto rolls, it seemed only natural to give this a try in a similar manner, pairing it with basil in loaf form.  Brace yourself for a house that smells so good that you’ll want to swoon, and prepare to indulge in a bread so delicious that you will have to hide it away to keep from devouring the entire loaf.  As you can see from the picture, I didn’t roll mine quite as tightly as I should have, resulting in spacing between the dough and pesto, but it had no effect on the taste or my enjoyment. 

This recipe is designed for the ABM (Automatic Bread Machine), but it can be easily made using traditional methods.

Tomato Basil Bread

½ cup warm water
½ cup whole milk

2 large eggs
6 tablespoons shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups wheat flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1½ pkgs. Red Star Bread Machine Yeast  (3-1/2 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1 tablespoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup Melissa’s Sun Dried Tomato Pesto 

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Place first 11 ingredients into the work bowl of your bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Set machine on “dough” setting and press “start.”  When machine has completed the dough making process (usually 90 minutes), remove dough to a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle. 

Using an offset spatula, spread with pesto, covering to the edge.  Beginning at the short end, roll up as tightly as possible (obviously, I cannot stress this enough), pinching the seam to seal.  Tuck ends under and place in a greased loaf pan.

Cover loosely with a kitchen towel, place in a warm spot and allow to raise until doubled in size, 50-60 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush top of loaf with melted butter. Bake for 30-45 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and leave in pan for 5-10 minutes before carefully removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

This post is linked to:

Wow Us Wednesdays

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday