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
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
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
I would also highly recommend grilling cheddar, onions, and tomatoes on it. Or
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.
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).
Herbed Tomato Bread
This tasty tomato and herb bread comes together in 45 minutes, is egg-free and easily made dairy-free, and requires no rising time.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1.5 cups (175g)all-purpose flour
- 1 and ⅔ cups (200g) wholemeal flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1.5 teaspoon dried garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried onion powder
Wet Ingredients
- Scant ¼ cup (50-60ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoon (30ml) milk or sugar-free soy milk/non-dairy milk
- 12.35 fl oz (365ml) canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon (30ml) tomato concentrate
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the over to 390ºF (200ºC) and mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until very well blended. 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 use a wooden spoon to smooth it flat and make sure the dough gets into the corners.
- Pop in the oven for 35 minutes on a shelf in the lower third of the oven.
- 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.
- Allow to cool down in the loaf pan, covered with a damp kitchen towel or clean cloth.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1 sliceAmount Per Serving Calories 140Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 2mgSodium 470mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 3gSugar 7gProtein 5g
Mary
Hi! What if I don’t have wholemeal flour?
Deirdre Gilna
Hi Mary, if you don’t have wholemeal you can replace it with all purpose white flour. It won’t be as rustic and will change the flavor slightly but it should still be good
Ben
Hi, can I substitute milk with water?
Deirdre Gilna
Hi Ben, good question. I wouldn’t advise it as some milk is needed for the baking soda.
Brittany
I know nothing about making bread. Is it possible to make this bread in a bread machine? We have a bread machine at work and I want to try making a fun bread in it.
The Fiery Vegetarian
Hey Brittany! You could definitely make this in a bread machine, but it would need to have a quick bread setting, as quick breads don’t have to be kneaded (and in fact, will turn out tough and dense if they are).
It would depend on the model, but if it has a quickbread setting you can either bring the ingredients already measured out and dump in to be quickly mixed and then baked or, you may need to mix the ingredients together yourself and then pop in on the quick bread setting.
If you can find out the make and model I can look into it more for you? The main thing to remember is that this dough can’t be mixed ahead of time or it won’t rise properly. Also, how cool is it that you have a bread machine at work?
James
This is a superb recipe for an outstanding dish! Easy to follow and get great results.
Rachel
I don’t know how I missed tomato bread growing up in Ireland but I could live off this stuff covered in hummus! Perfect!
carly
I made this twice last weekend as my boyfriend and I loved it so much. Can’t believe I´ve never tried it before.
The Fiery Vegetarian
So happy you made this and it turned out well!
Mina Joshi
Oh I could have this bread now toasted with my tea !!I loved Irish bread served in my hotel when I visited Ireland for a holiday. The fact that you made this bread so many times to perfect your recipe gives me confidence to print it off to try making it.
The Fiery Vegetarian
Thanks Mina!
Swati
I never made tomato flavored bread!! This looks so delicious and tempting!! Beautiful texture.
Mayuri Patel
I love tomato bread, not the one where tomato and olive are applied to a slice but with tomatoes in the bread. It tastes awesome . Haven’t made one in a long time.
The Fiery Vegetarian
I work with a lot of British people and they had never heard of it, I wonder if it’s a regional thing….
Jamie
A wonderful recipe yielding very tasty results
Will
This very full guinea pig may try making bread for the first time… delicious!
Danielle
Bread B Bread B! I can attest that this is the best tomato bread I have tried. Perfect texture and a tomato flavour that isn’t too overpowering.
The Fiery Vegetarian
Mwhahaha, I believe you had never had tomato bread before! :p