Baked in a ring these savoury bread buns look rather special and are perfect for dinner parties, but it is really not hard to make this tasty chive and tomato bread ring.
You may already be aware that I do love to make my own bread. It really is hard to beat unless you are lucky enough to live near a good independent baker. For everyday bread, I most often make my easy No-knead Sourdough as it takes little hands-on time to prepare and once in a routine is easy to make on a regular basis.
For dinner parties and special occasions though I like to make something a little different. Although you can enjoy these savoury chive and tomato bread rolls at any time of the year I think they look particularly good on the festive table. They will certainly look the part on a festive party buffet spread in the run-up to Christmas. These chives and tomato bread rolls are also perfect for boxing day to serve with cold turkey and ham or with hot bowls of steaming turkey soup.
How to Make the Chive and Tomato Bread Ring
These may look more impressive and more festive than traditional bread rolls but they only take a little extra effort make. The bread is made from a basic white bread dough. After the initial proving the dough is knocked back and rolled into a rectangle. Bread dough can be a bit springy and hard to roll as it tends to shrink back but unlike pastry, you cannot easily over handle it so just pull and stretch is as you roll until you have the desired rectangle.
Next, brush the dough with a little olive oil and sprinkle over the snipped chives, spring onions slices and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, before rolling up like a Swiss roll.
Cut into 8 slices and arrange in a circle around the edge of a large – about 25cm (10in) – spring clip pan, allow to prove for a second time and then bake. Don't worry if you don't have the right size tin, they can also be baked in a circle on a baking sheet. The easiest way to tell if bread is cooked is to tap it on the bottom. If it sounds hollow it's cooked.
The chive and tomato bread is particularly delicious served while still slightly warm though no means essential, but it is best eaten within 24-36 hours. You can serve the rolls with butter for spreading or do as I do and serve them with bowls of oil and vinegar for dipping.
Chive and Tomato Bread Ring
Ingredients
- 500 g strong bread flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 7 g sachet easy blend yeast
- 2 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for brushing
- 300 ml tepid water
- 4 spring onions thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon snipped chives
- 4 pieces sun-dried tomato in oil drained and chopped
Instructions
- Place the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the olive oil add most of the water and mix to a firm slightly sticky dough adding the remaining water if required.
- Knead well for 5 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely. Leave in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Knead the dough again for a few minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to form a 35x23cm (14x9in) rectangle. Brush with olive oil.
- Sprinkle the chives and spring onions evenly over the dough then add the chopped tomatoes.
- Roll up from the long end like a Swiss roll and cut into eight equal slices.
- Arrange the slices equally spaced, cut side down in a greased 25cm (10in) spring clip tin.
- Cover and leave in a warm place until risen, about 30 minutes.
- Bake in the centre of a preheated oven 220C/425F/gas mark 7 for 30 minutes, until golden. When cook the loaf will sound hollow when tapped on the base.
- Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.
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