Rosie’s Sun-blushed Tomato, Parmesan & Basil Loaf

The aroma of this bread loaf is divine, a little of the Mediterranean brought into your home. This is such a treat served with cheese, pickle a little ham and salad (Ploughman's lunch), or a slice smothered in butter and eaten warm from the oven (!)

I buy my sun-blushed tomatoes in a jar from the supermarket. Take out the quantity of Sun-blushed tomatoes required, drain and pat them dry on kitchen towelling before roughly chopping them.



Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

300ml (½ pint) tepid water
60ml (2 fl oz) olive oil
500g (1lb 2 oz) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1½ tsp table salt
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp fast-action dried yeast
55g (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
100g (3½ oz) Sun-blushed tomatoes, drained, patted dried and chopped
Handful of fresh Basil, stalks removed and roughly chopped when required

Method

1. Put the flour, salt, yeast, oil and tepid water into a bowl and mix gently by hand to bring them together. When all the flour has been mixed in, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a round and place in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

2. Knock back the dough on a lightly floured surface and add the Sun-blushed tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and basil. Knead until smooth and elastic and shape once again into a ball and press firmly down to flatten. Sprinkle a little flour over the top and from the middle make vertical slashes down the dough all the way round. Place on a lined baking tray, cover and leave to rise again in a warm place until doubled in size.

3. Preheat oven, 220°C /Fan oven 200°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Bake the loaf for approx 25 minutes, (check your loaf to see if cooked as each oven is different) until golden brown, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.