FIRE ROASTED TOMATO HERB BREAD

Fire Roasted Tomato Herb Bread
Makes 2 regular pan sized loaves or one large free form

Recipe & Images: Courtesy of Rick Beach

Basic Bread Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. Salt

13.5 oz. Can Warm unsweetened Canned Coconut Milk

2 teaspoons Rapid rise yeast (Mix into flour)

    - Do not mix your yeast into the liquid with the salt)

1 to 4 Tablespoons Agave Liquid Sweetener (Warmed/Room Temperature)

1 Egg raw whisked (warmed egg) (Place the whole egg (Still in shell) in warm water while preparing other ingredients), then crack the egg into a bowl and whisk just before adding to the other warmed liquids.

2 Tablespoons melted Butter

Whisk together 4 cups of flour and the salt in a large bowl.

In another bowl whisk the warm milk, Agave, and yeast.  Set aside to proof for 10-15 minutes.

Whisk the egg, and melted butter together (butter not hot or it will cook the egg).  Then whisk this into the Milk mixture.

Mix the dry and liquids together, and knead using your preferred method.  Toward the end of this mix and knead process add the Fire Roasted Tomato ingredients.

Fire Roasted Tomato Ingredients
14.5 Can of Fire Roasted Chopped tomatoes (Very well drained – Warmed)
½ Cup Fresh Basil Leaves finely chopped (About 20 large leaves)
1 Tbsp. Fresh Minced Garlic
1 to 1 ½ Cup Flour   (add slowly to return dough to proper consistency)
1 Cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (Add last)

Finish off the first mix and knead step to achieve proper dough consistency.  Then proceed with the rise, punch down, loaf forming and second rise.

Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Bread Machine Method:

SET BREAD MACHINE to “Quick”, “Dough” Start so pre-heat is going.

PLACE The mixed Flour & Salt in bread machine

COMBINE  in a separate bowl the Warm Coconut Milk, Agave & yeast.  Allow to proof. 

COMBINE in yet another separate bowl the whisked warm raw egg, warm agave, and melted butter.  Whisk to combine.

COMBINE the Milk/Yeast mixture to the Egg mixture and whisk to combine all the liquids.

POUR combined liquid mixture into bread machine with the mixed flour & salt.  Let the bread machine starting running through Quick, Dough, cycle (Mix & First Rise 45 Minutes).  This is normally a manual override setting on most bread machines.  Monitor the initial mixing stage until the dough just begins to clump together and form a ball (Somewhere 10-15 minutes into the machine process.  Then add the Roasted Tomato ingredients except for the cheese.  Once the tomato ingredients work in and form consistent dough, add the cheese and let it work in.

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease Bread Pans.  The warmed stove top will become your warm place 45 minutes later to raise your dough the second time.  The bread machine will provide the raise the first time.  (If you are using a mixer/dough hook or hand method to create your dough, both raises will occur on the stove top or other warm place)

TURN DOUGH OUT (dough that has risen one time) on floured surface and roll out into a 12X8 inch rectangle.  Roll as a jelly roll 8 inches wide. Pinch seam, tuck ends under and pinch seams, coat with light coat of oil, and place in greased bread pan, seam side down.

COVER Dough AND let RAISE, on warm stove 30-45 minutes.

BAKE at 375 for 25-30 minutes (Until golden Brown and sounds somewhat hollow when tapped.

Remove from pan and rub all surfaces with butter for a softer crust.  Cover with towel until cooled

Proper Bread making techniques

Note: Liquids should be warm not hot.  Rather than getting all technical and breaking out the thermometers. Test on inside of wrist as you would baby bottle milk.  Proper temperature aids in the dough rising quickly.  Overly hot liquids will kill the yeast.  At Cold temperatures, the yeast will not rise.  On both Raise cycles the dough should double in volume.  Your flour and other ingredients should all be at least room temperature before starting.  Make sure to oil the dough, and oil your rising bowl, or container.  Cover and raise dough in a warm draft free location.

We use a bread machine to speed mixing the dough and the first rise.  The benefit of a bread machine is consistent results.  When baking multiple loaves you can keep producing a ready batch every 45 minutes, ready for the second rise in your bread pan.

Using cow’s milk requires you to scald and cool to warm before using.  This rids the milk of anything that might affect your yeast growth.

Dough can be made using any traditional method including the old fashioned by hand method, or a mixer with a dough hook.  By hand, the more you knead, the better the bread.  Many people that get poor results when baking bread fail at the temperature, and or not enough kneading.  Other yeast killers are combining your yeast and salt in the liquids.  The salt will kill the yeast.  Mix your yeast with warm liquids and allow it to "grow".  Combined ingredients as recipe indicates.  With any tried and tested recipe you might be following, pay particular attention to how and when the salt is added. 

 

Rising works best in a warm moist environment.  I use (2) stainless steamer trays.  The 6 inch deep, half size steamer tray 10x12 inch.  Or full size if doing English muffins or multiple loaves.  In the bottom tray, add a 1/2 inch of very hot tap water.  A wire rack placed in that hot water (Rack should be slightly above the water level).  Then place the bread pan with the oiled dough in it, on top of the rack.  The second stainless tray placed inverted as a domed cover.  This is placed on the top of the warm stove with the oven preheating.  This warm, moist environment raises your dough quickly, usually in 30 minutes so.  Standard size loaves have plenty of room to rise.

Taking a peek.  Using 2 steamer trays, wire rack and hot water to raise dough.