Tomato Basil Bread

We found a duplex in Millbrook. Two bedrooms, a real kitchen with actual counter space, a small porch off the back. The landlord is an older man named Mr. Watts who asked how we found the place and we said a coworker of Tyler, and he said good people, and that was the extent of the vetting. We sign the lease next week. We move in March when both our current leases end.

I stood in the kitchen of the duplex and turned around slowly. This is what choosing feels like. This is what it feels like to walk into a room and decide to make it yours. I have lived in twelve different places since I was born. Six of them I had no say in at all. The others I had small say, the kind of say that is really just approval after the fact. This is the first time I have stood in an empty kitchen and thought yes, this is where I will cook.

Tyler stood in the doorway watching me turn in circles and smiling. He asked what I was thinking. I said I was thinking about where the cast iron skillet would live. He said the burner on the left looks strongest. I said yes. That burner. I will cook on that burner.

Made dinner at Tyler apartment Sunday since mine is now in boxes. He made scrambled eggs, his contribution to cooking, which have not improved. I made everything else. Fried potatoes, sausage, biscuits from batch five, the good batch. He said they tasted like his grandmother recipe. I said that was the idea. He ate four.

Those biscuits I brought to Tyler’s that Sunday — batch five, the good batch — were proof that the kitchen and I were finally speaking the same language. And when I stood in the duplex turning in circles, thinking about where the cast iron would live, I knew the next thing I wanted to bake in that new space was something equally grounding: a bread with weight to it, something savory and real. Tomato Basil Bread is exactly that — the kind of loaf that fills a kitchen with smell and purpose, the kind of thing you make when a room finally feels like it belongs to you.

Prep Time: 20 minutes + 1 hour rise | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes | Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3/4 cup warm water (110°F)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), drained and roughly chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Instructions

Activate the yeast. In a small bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and let sit 5–7 minutes until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, start over with fresh yeast.
Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, garlic powder, and oregano. Pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Fold in add-ins. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan. Mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Knead. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky. Add flour one tablespoon at a time only if the dough is too wet to handle.
First rise. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set in a warm spot. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Shape. Punch down the dough and shape into an oval or round loaf. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rest 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 375°F.
Egg wash and score. Brush the top of the loaf with beaten egg. Using a sharp knife, score the top with two or three shallow diagonal cuts.
Bake. Bake 30–35 minutes until deep golden brown. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Internal temperature should reach 190°F.
Cool. Transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 15 minutes before slicing. The inside will continue to set as it rests.

Nutrition (per serving)

Tomato Basil Bread — The Burner on the Left