Tomato Basil Bread

Tomato basil bread combines fresh Roma tomatoes, garlic, and basil with a sourdough whole wheat dough and a cinnamon maple topping for the perfect late summer bread.

When I got home for the summer, my sister had one request. All she wanted was homemade tomato basil bread like they sell at Panera. Of course, I had to try this out using my sourdough starter. 🙂 I cooked down tomatoes with garlic and basil (the kitchen smelled amazing!) before adding them to a simple bread recipe. The next morning, the dough had risen beautifully and made such a lovely loaf. We loved eating it with butter, olive oil, and even just plain right out of the oven!

What is tomato basil bread made of?

Normally, tomato basil bread is made of basic baking ingredients – flour, salt, water – with a puree of tomato, garlic, and basil added. This recipe uses sourdough instead of yeast to make the bread rise, giving it an extra special flavor. With a maple cinnamon topping, this bread offers the perfect balance of savory summer flavors with a hint of sweetness in the crackly crust.

Tips for making Tomato Basil Bread

• For this recipe, I’ve found it’s better to use a more active and bubbly starter than to use a starter you haven’t fed in a few days. While the bread may not turn out as sour, it will be lighter and fluffier. If you use sourdough starter that you haven’t fed in a few days, your bread will turn out more dense. 
• This bread is super easy to make because you use a stand mixer to knead it. Simply mix your dough in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5-7 minutes or so and you’ll be good to go. 
• If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can absolutely knead this dough by hand instead. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and knead the dough for 5-8 minutes to develop the gluten.
• Store this bread in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Use it for toast, sandwiches, with soup, or just on its own. 🙂

Tools you will need

To make this bread, you’ll need a knife and cutting board, small skillet, a blender, stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, and a loaf pan (I used an 8 x 4 inch one).

Ingredients you will need

For the bread dough, you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour – You need to use at least half all-purpose flour in this recipe for it to have the right texture!
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour – This makes the bread a bit softer, but feel free to switch this to all-purpose if you prefer.
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter – Make sure it’s active and bubbly!
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Roma tomatoes – These are the star of this bread, so make sure they are nice and ripe!
• 2 cloves garlic – You can also use garlic powder instead if you prefer. Try using between 2-3 tsp to your taste.
• 1 tbsp olive oil – You can also use another neutral oil like avocado oil, but olive oil definitely goes best with the basil, garlic, and tomatoes.
• 10 leaves of fresh basil – You can also substitute dried basil if you need to.
• 1 tsp salt – Kosher salt works well here.

For the topping, you’ll need:

• 2 tbsp maple syrup – You can also use honey.
• 2 tsp flour – All-purpose or whole wheat will work.
• 1 tsp cinnamon – It sounds weird, but trust me it adds just the right amount of sweetness!
• 1 tbsp water
• pinch of salt – You can use kosher salt here.

How to make Tomato Basil Bread

The night before:

Roughly chop the tomatoes. Make sure to remove their seeds! Put them in a skillet with the olive oil and the 2 cloves of garlic. Heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until softened.

Transfer the cooked tomatoes and garlic to a blender and blend for about 30 seconds until it forms a smooth puree. You should have about 2/3 cup of puree.

Chop the basil leaves roughly. This will be about 3 tbsp of basil.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sourdough starter, salt, tomato puree, and basil using a dough hook. Slowly add in the water a little at a time. The dough will be a little sticky, and this is normal!

Mix the dough on medium speed for about 5-7 minutes, until it forms a smooth ball of dough. Cover the dough and let it rise overnight.

In the morning:

Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a loaf. Grease an 8 x 4 inch baking pan and place the loaf in the pan. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size and puffy.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and use the convection setting if your oven has it!

Mix together the maple syrup, cinnamon, water, salt, and cinnamon, then brush it over the top of the bread.

Bake the bread for 20 minutes until the top is browned and crackly. Let it cool for at least 5 minutes before you remove it from the pan. Let the bread cool the rest of the way on a baking rack if you have one.

Looking for more sourdough recipes?

If so, make sure to check out the Kitchen Counter for other easy and yummy baking ideas. Here are a few other recipes you might enjoy:

• Sourdough Pesto Bread
• Sourdough Garlic Bread
• Sourdough Naan
• Sourdough Focaccia
• Sourdough Dinner Rolls

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.