Try This Unusual Tomato Quinoa Bread Recipe

I had big plans to get back into my bread challenge and bake at least once a week, but with the holidays and such, I didn't get around to it. Now that January is here, I'm going to make a big effort and try some new bread recipes. This one jumped out at me and seemed like something I had to try. I quite like quinoa and it's loaded with protein and iron, so it's a good choice if you are vegetarian or vegan.

The recipe calls for the bread to rise in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours, but my refrigerator was pretty full, so I stuck it out on my back porch over night. I think it was a bit too cold, because it didn't rise very much. The bread turned out to be a bit dense because of it, but it still had a nice crumb and a good flavour. The quinoa makes it crunchy and give the bread an interesting texture. It was really good toasted too. I'm going to make some sandwiches with grilled vegetables using this bread and I think it will hold up very well.

I used V8 for the vegetable juice, but you could use any kind you like. Make sure you rinse off the quinoa before you use it, otherwise it may be bitter. If you don't have a mixer, then just mix the ingredients in a large bowl and then knead by hand.

Tomato Quinoa Bread

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 cup seasoned vegetable juice
1/2 cup quinoa (un-cooked)
3 3/4 cups (1 pound) bread flour

1. Mix the yeast, sugar and water together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy then stir in the oil, salt, juice and quinoa.


2. Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook, set it on medium-low speed and add the flour in a little at a time. Mix until most of the flour is incorporated and the dough comes together in a ball. Continue to mix for 4-5 minutes more, until the dough becomes soft and shiny, but still firm. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour.


3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough has doubled or tripled in size, this should take 8 to 12 hours. The dough may also be left in the refrigerator for up to two days, but you may need to punch it down a few times as it doubles.


4. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and punch it down. Form the dough into a ball, return to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to double once again, this should take about an hour.


5. Punch the dough down one more time, then form it into a tight rectangle. Place the dough into a rectangular bread pan, cover with a cloth and let rise until double in size.


6. Oven preheated to 450, slash the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife so that it can expand properly and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped. Turn the loaf out on a rack to cool and wait at least 1 hour before slicing.

From the website Cooking Books.

Difficulty Level: Easy

Related Posts:
On Moving Toward Vegetarianism: Getting the Protein You Need
Discovery Health: Soup and Quinoa
Green Glossary: Grainy Season

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