Quick Herbed Tomato Bread

This herbed tomato bread is a super easy no yeast quick bread and is also easily made vegan. It’s ready in 45 minutes and smells just like a tomato-based pizza!

The crust has the perfect amount of chew, and the tomato and herb-scented interior is springy but not dry. Just moist enough, and packed with rich umami flavors.

When I was a teenager I absolutely adored the tomato bread you were able to buy in Superquinn in Ireland. I used to inhale it toasted with melted cheddar, tomato and onions, open-faced sandwich style.

Lately (I have no idea why) I have definitely been hankering and obsessing over that bread.

If you’re a fan of Irish breads you can also try my easy vegan Irish soda bread. If you’re feeling a bit fancier, my focaccia with garlic and herbs and a fresh bruschetta dip is always a winner.

So of course, to get the information I needed for my tomato bread fix, I went to the Internet.

I couldn’t find the right bread recipe, just a million pages about Spanish tomato bread (toasted bread with tomatoes and olive oil on it), bread with some tomatoes in it, or a pale version of what I was looking for.

Plus, I wanted this bread to be yeast free because I knew I’d have to test a lot of versions of it (not a naturally gifted baker here….) and didn’t want to spend half my life waiting for different batches of dough to rise.

It took me about seven batches to get it right. When I was down to the last two, I took pity on my tomato-bread-stuffed husband and children, and my tomato-bread-stuffed fridge and freezer, and forced my workmates to be my guinea pigs.

What can you put on tomato bread?

Some crazy people (hint, not me) eat it without anything on it and loved it. It is probably tasty enough to eat on its own, but I’d recommend it with hummus, smashed avocado, toasted and warm with butter (plant-based for me), as the base for open-faced sandwiches, etc.

I would also highly recommend grilling cheddar, onions, and tomatoes on it. Or mozzarella and pesto. It’s also amazing for dipping in creamy soups.

How to make herbed tomato bread

Preheat the over to 390ºF (200ºC)and mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Make sure to mix the herbs and baking soda in well to get an even spread of flavors and allow the tomato bread to rise evenly.

Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, trying to mix the olive oil in as well as possible. Then mix the wet ingredients into the dry until very well blended.

As with most quick breads, you have to straddle a fine line between mixing enough that everything is well distributed (otherwise you’ll have white floury spots in your bread) and overmixing, which toughens the bread.

The dough will be wet and sticky. Grease a loaf pan with a little olive oil or margarine. Tip in the wet-dry mixture and wet your hand and smooth it over, making sure the dough gets into the corners.

Pop in the oven for 35 minutes on a shelf in the lower third of the oven. This will make sure the bottom cooks through properly and the top doesn’t overly brown.

Check it’s done by inserting a skewer into the middle, and if any wet dough is on it, bake it in five-minute increments until completely done. You can also switch off your oven and let the tomato bread finish baking in the residual heat.

Allow to cool down in the loaf pan, covered with a damp kitchen towel or clean cloth. Covering quick breads with damp towels while cooling prevents a too-hard crust from forming.

Let this bread cool completely (if you can wait that long) before attempting to cut it or it will crumble. Cut it in thick slices, although it’s much easier to slice thinly the next day.

It will keep for up to five days wrapped in cling film or aluminum foil in the fridge and freezes really well.

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Enjoy! And don’t forget to let me know if you like it in the comments below, leave a quick star rating on the recipe card, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram (@the_fiery_vegetarian).