Roasted Tomato Dill Bread

(yield: 1-9” loaf)

Roasted tomatoes
First start off by cutting into wedges approximately 2 large ripe tomatoes. Lay the wedges out on a parchment or silicone lined sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes at 400F. They should take on a good amount of color around the edges. Allow them to cool then puree in a food processor.

Bread Dough
1/4 Cup water, lukewarm
1 1/4 t Instant Dry Yeast
2 Tablespoon sugar
5 oz by weight roasted tomato puree
1 Tablespoon Butter, melted
1 1/4 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1/2 Cup buttermilk

Gently heat your buttermilk in a small sauce pot or microwave just to bring in to room temperature. Combine all the above ingredients in the bowl of a small, tabletop mixer. Whisk them together and allow the yeast to bloom for just a few minutes.

1 lb bread flour
2 teaspoon kosher salt

You will need an adjustable spray bottle with clean water for the baking process.

Add the above ingredients to the bowl and mix for 3 minutes on low. The dough should have begun to pull away from the bowl at this point. It should also feel well hydrated, but not sticky. Then mix for an additional 3 minutes on medium. The dough should look smooth and have acquired elasticity. Remove it from the bowl. With a lightly flour surface knead it to a round ball. Put this in a lightly oiled bowl and cover the dough with a dampened kitchen towel. Allow this to proof in a warm area until doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface again and form it into a loaf. Press the dough out gently with your hand to release the air from it then fold it into itself, almost as if you were rolling it up like a log. With the seam of the loaf on the bottom, tighten it slightly by cupping your hands on each end and pulling it towards yourself with pressure on the bottom back side of the loaf, against the table. Place this in a well oiled 9” loaf pan, with the seam side down. Again, cover with a dampened kitchen towel and allow to proof until the dough has risen about 2 inches above the top of the pan. Preheat your oven to 375F or 350F if you have a convection oven. Once the loaf is ready to be baked, with a very sharp knife, score one line from end to end lengthwise that is about ¼ inch deep. Place the loaf in the middle of your oven, with nothing above it. With the spray bottle, spray with a few pumps a fine mist into the top of the oven, not directly at the loaf. This will give the dough sheen and help it to expand. Close the oven immediately after spraying and bake for approximately 25 minutes. The loaf with turn golden brown and sound hollow and light when tapped on the bottom. Immediately take the loaf out of the pan when it comes out and allow it to cool on a rack completely before enjoying.

Katie Bennett, Pastry Supervisor