Despite the intense situation in China, our life are quite usual as normal in Australia. Apart from the fact that all of the face masks and hand sanitisers were sold out in all pharmacies and supermarkets in Melbourne and most Chinese restaurants were quiet with only non-Asian customers, most people are still pretty chilled here.
In contrast, my auntie was telling me that Singaporeans were stockpiling food in Singapore during the last weekend. She texted me a photo of the near-empty supermarket shelves and was complaining to me that the queues in the supermarket checkouts were super long... Oh no!!!
With less time outside, more time at home, I'm actually strangely happy because I can do a little more healthful baking. Hmmm... And here, I would like to share with you the BEST tomato sandwich breads that I have ever baked.
I have to say that this is the BEST Tomato Sandwich Breads that I have ever baked.
HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
"Hey Mum, what did you add into my sandwich bread?"
"Ham and cheese." I replied my son's question with a cheeky face. LOL!
"I know! I can smell the herbs but I don't know what else is inside these breads." said my son and I can sense that he was starting to be a little frustrated with my cheeky reply.
"Alright. It's tomato!" and I said it loud and proudly.
"Oh! No wonder the breads taste so sweet and tangy! Thanks Mum. They are very nice!" said my son with a lovely smile.
It felt really nice hearing these appreciative words from my son and so I smiled extra widely.
I always surprise my son by baking a variety of interesting sandwich breads for his school lunches. However, he is in this awkward age that he is conscious of every comments that his friends said about him. Despite that he likes our homemade breads, he told me not to be too creative with my sandwich bread baking as his friends were laughing at his "weird" sandwiches. Hmmm... ok.
Nevertheless, based on my extensive baking experience, I have to say that this is the BEST tomato sandwich breads that I have ever baked.
Why best? There are so many good things that I can say about these tomato breads...
They are (1) amazingly super soft and moist (2) very fragrant due to the addition of herbs and pesto (3) delicious due to its mild sweet and tangy taste (4) not overly loaded with vegetable oil and sugar (5) healthy because it is fully tomato-loaded and tomato is known to be one of the world's healthiest food (6) egg-free and suitable for people who have egg-allergy (7) dairy-free and suitable for people who can't consume milk, butter or any dairy products (8) vegan meaning that the breads are 100% animal friendly (9) fuss free and easy to bake because I don't have to process or squeeze any tomato juice and the dough is very easy to handle!!!
Wow! My kitchen smells so lovely when I was baking these breads.
I would HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND this HEALTHY recipe!
And I hope that you and your family will like it ^-^
I didn't have to process or squeeze or use any fresh or canned tomatoes to bake these breads! All I need was just a pack of no-added-salt tomato paste!!!
According to Wikipedia, tomato paste is a thick paste made by cooking tomatoes for several hours to reduce the water content, straining out the seeds and skins, and cooking the liquid again to reduce the base to a thick, rich concentrate. The no-salt-no-sugar-added tomato paste that I'm using is actually 5-stars health-rated as it is made with 100% tomatoes and contains a good amount of dietary fibers, vitamins and minerals. So, please make sure that you read your food label when you are shopping for a good tomato paste.
Just a few things that I like to mention before sharing the recipe and a video showing how I baked these super soft and yummy tomato breads...
1) I prefer not to use olive oil to bake these breads because olive oil is generally heat-sensitive and can change its properties after cooking and baking in high temperature.
2) The pesto and herbs topping can make the breads extra fragrant and yummy but please be aware that the toppings can burned very quickly during baking. Please make sure that you will keep an eye at the oven and if the herbs on the top of the breads are becoming brown, cover the breads very loosely with aluminum foil at the last 10-15 mins of bake and continue to bake until thoroughly baked.
Without saying anything further, here's a video showing how I baked these super soft yummy tomato sandwich breads. Enjoy!
Plus, it will be really nice if you can support me and my blog. Please LIKE, SHARE and FOLLOW me at either my Facebook at here or here or my Instagram @zoebakeforhappykids because every support from you helps to motivate me to share more ^-^ Thank you!!!Hope that the Coronavirus situation will get better soon in these couple of weeks. Let's stay positive and healthy! Take care!
Here's the recipe.
IMPORTANT: Please use the exact weight and make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature.
Makes two 10 x 10 x 20 cm loaves, 450g each
You can use half of the recipe to make one loaf of bread.
For the bread dough:
300g lukewarm water, at about 37°C
140g tomato paste, made with 100% tomatoes, no added salt and sugar
60g neutral tasting vegetable oil - I don't use heat-sensitive olive oil, see the above tip
650g bread flour with 12% protein
50g caster sugar
6g salt
1 tbsp dried Italian mixed herbs
8g (2 tsp) instant dry yeast
For topping:
1 tbsp neutral tasting vegetable oil - I don't use heat-sensitive olive oil, see the above tip
1/2 tsp tomato pesto
extra dried Italian mixed herb to sprinkle
vegetable oil spray or vegetable oil to grease the loaf pans
extra bread flour for dusting and shaping
If you are using a breadmaker to knead and prove, add all ingredients into the breadmaker according to this order. Use "dough" setting to mix and knead dough for 30 mins or until the dough is smooth and elastic and allow the dough to prove for 60 mins.
If you are using an electric mixer with an hook attachment to knead, combine all ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix at low speed until a soft dough forms. Continue to knead at low speed for at least 25 mins or until the dough is smooth and elastic. It is important that the dough has to be elastic and stretchy. Cover the dough and allow the dough to prove in a warm and humid place for about 60 mins or until doubled in size.
To shape the dough into bread loaves:
Grease 10 x 20 cm loaf pans with vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray.
Divide dough into into 6 equal portions (200g each). Shape all portions of dough into smooth balls. Allow them to rest at room temperature for about 10 mins.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each portion into long and flat oval shape (about 20 cm) on a lightly floured non-stick surface. Use your fingers to pick one shorter side of the dough and tuck and roll the dough like a Swiss roll. Use the rolling pin to flatten and roll the dough into a long rod shape. Then, pick one shorter side of the dough and roll it like a Swiss roll again. Repeat this rolling step with the remaining portions of dough.
Place three rolled dough with their seams side down into the each prepared pan. Press the top of the dough lightly to form an even surface. Allow the dough to prove in a warm and humid place for another 60 mins or until the dough is going to reach the maximum height of the loaf pan.
For brushing, combine 1 tbsp oil and pesto. Brush bread dough with pesto mixture and sprinkle a pinch of dried Italian herbs on top. Please do not omit this brushing step because the pesto and herb topping can make the breads extra fragrant and delicious!
Bake in a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for 25 mins or until the breads are thoroughly baked inside. WARNING: The pesto and herb toppings can burned very quickly during baking! Always keep an eye at the oven! If the top of the breads are becoming brown too quickly, cover the breads very loosely with aluminum foil at the last 10-15 mins of bake and continue to bake until thoroughly baked.
Remove the breads from the loaf pans immediately and transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
To store, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days or freeze in serving portions for 2-3 months.
Happy BakingPlease support me and like me at Facebook...
