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This No-Knead Sun Dried Tomato Bread has a crunchy and crispy crust on the outside, an airy and fluffy crumb on the inside, and a ton of chewy sun dried tomatoes throughout. Vegan.
Skip the long lines at the bakery and make this bakery-style Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Bread instead. It’s an artisan loaf with addictive Italian flavors thanks to the sun dried tomatoes, vegan parmesan, and Italian seasonings in every slice. No kneading or bread making experience required!
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The Magic of No-Knead Bread
Making bread from scratch is notoriously intimidating, especially for beginners. Working with yeasted dough and making sure it’s proofed and kneaded just right? Talk about stress!
The beauty of no-knead bread recipes, however, is that you do not have to knead the dough. Everything that’s usually complicated about homemade bread is swapped for simpler methods, like mixing and folding, making it easy for any newbie or experienced breadmaker to bake a perfect loaf.
If you’re finally ready to start baking bread from scratch or you simply have a craving for fresh bread, let my No-Knead Sun Dried Tomato Bread be your easy introduction! The golden brown crust is crispy and crunchy, while the inside is super fluffy and bejeweled with sun dried tomatoes and Italian seasonings for a Tuscan vibe. It’s just like what you’d find in a bakery, but a breeze to make at home.
Ingredients for No Knead Tomato Bread
Just 8 simple and budget-friendly ingredients are all you need to make this artisan bread:
- Flour: all-purpose flour gives the loaf a great structure with a tender and fluffy crumb. Unfortunately, I haven’t tested this recipe with another type of flour, like bread flour or gluten-free flour, so I’m unsure if they will work or not.
- Seasonings: a simple combination of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and kosher salt enhances the delicious Tuscan flavors here.
- Instant Yeast: even if working with yeast scares you, fear not, because instant yeast keeps the process easy. Just stir it into the dry ingredients and you’re done! Remember to use fresh yeast that hasn’t expired or else the dough may not rise.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: both dehydrated sun dried tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes packed in oil will work well in the loaf. If working with dehydrated tomatoes, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain, chop, and stir into the dough as normal.
- Parmesan Cheese: pick up a block of your favorite vegan parmesan cheese or make your own from scratch. If vegan parm isn’t available where you live, use 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast instead.
How to Make No-Knead Sun Dried Tomato Bread
- Whisk the flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl. Pour in the water and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to thicken. Stir in the tomatoes and parmesan cheese.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside so the dough can rest and double in size.
- Before baking the bread, place a Dutch oven or cast iron pot in the oven to preheat.
- Meanwhile, transfer the risen dough to a well-floured surface. Pull the bottom edges of the dough ball out and fold them over the center of the top, pinching well to “shape” it into a ball. Repeat until you have a tight ball of dough. Transfer the ball to a sheet of parchment paper, pinched side down.
- Lift the parchment paper with the dough up and into the pre-heated Dutch oven or pot. Cover with a lid and return to the oven. Bake the bread until the crust is golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer the baked bread to a cooling rack and allow it to cool before slicing and serving.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- The water shouldn’t be too hot: Room temperature water is best when mixing the dough. Water that’s hotter than a warm bath will kill the yeast, which will affect the rise.
- Stretch and fold the dough rather than kneading: Bread dough is traditionally kneaded by hand or with a mixer to not only develop the gluten but to also smooth and shape the ball. When you don’t knead bread, you have to rely on folding the dough up and over itself, then pinching the loose ends closed. If you need help, refer to the pictures in this post or watch this helpful video by Emma’s Goodies.
- Always preheat the Dutch oven: You want your Dutch oven or cast iron pot to be blazing hot before baking the bread. Preheating helps your bread bake faster and helps develop a tall, rounded loaf with a crispy crust and fluffy structure.
Serving Suggestions
Just like with any loaf of bread, I know you’ll love using the sliced tomato bread to make sandwiches. Spread my Vegan Ricotta Cheese on one slice, my Arugula Pesto on the other, and layer this Grilled Pesto Tofu or roasted red peppers, sliced zucchini, sliced eggplant, and fresh arugula on top for an epic Tuscan-style sandwich.
When you’d rather keep things simple, slather the toasted slices with my Tomato Butter for a delicious snack, or pack them into a bread basket to serve with dinner. Enjoy them on the side of this No-Boil Pesto Pasta Bake, these Vegan Meatballs, this One-Pot Pasta Primavera, and more Italian-inspired main dishes.
A fun way to use up the one or two-day-old loaf is to transform it into homemade croutons. Rip the loaf into bite-sized chunks, toss them in a bit of olive oil, and toast until golden brown in a 350ºF oven. Toss them in this Vegan Panzanella Salad or a vegan Caesar salad for a nice crunch.
If you’re looking for more easy bread recipes, you’ll also love this Double Chocolate No-Knead Bread, this 3-Ingredient Pesto Star Bread, and these One-Bowl Pretzel Buns!
How to Store Leftover Sun Dried Tomato Bread
The leftover tomato bread will keep for up to 5 days at room temperature. Allow the loaf to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container.
The bread also freezes well for up to 2 months. Pre-slice the loaf and freeze it in a freezer-safe container. Either thaw the slices before serving or pop the slices in a toaster to quickly reheat them.
Recipe FAQs
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour so I’m unsure if it will work or not. Sorry!
Use another large, oven-safe pot with a lid. Cast iron is best because it will develop a crispier crust.
Either the water in the dough was too hot and you killed the yeast, or your yeast isn’t fresh.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
No-Knead Sun Dried Tomato Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons salt-free Italian seasoning blend
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons room temperature water divided
- 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil*
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan optional 30g
Instructions
- Prep: Add the flour to a large mixing bowl along with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and yeast; whisk well. Form a well in the center of the dough, then pour in 1 1/2 cups of water and mix with a wooden spoon. Once the dough starts to thicken (there will still be some flour left), add in the tomatoes and parmesan (if using) and mix well, until all of the flour is absorbed. The dough should be thick and lumpy, but if it is too dry, add in the extra 2 tablespoons of water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (I like to use a rubber band to seal it tight) then set aside and let rest for 12 to 18 hours, until the dough looks loose and has doubled in size.
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 450F; once it’s pre-heated, add a 6 quart (or similar sized) coated dutch oven or cast iron pot to the oven and allow it to preheat for 30 minutes. Set a sheet of parchment paper aside.
- Shape the Dough: Right before baking, use a spatula to transfer the dough onto a well-floured surface. Dust your hands with flour as well and pull the bottom edges of the dough ball towards the center of the top, pinching well to “shape” it – remember, no kneading! Repeat several times to get a tight ball, then flip the ball onto the sheet of parchment paper so the pinched side is on the bottom. I like to do this right before taking the cast iron out of the oven.
- Bake: Carefully remove the preheated dutch oven, place the parchment paper (and dough) in it, then cover and return to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove the lid and bake for an extra 18 to 20 minutes to get a nice and crispy crust.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool before slicing. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or pre-slice your loaf and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: I prefer to use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, but dehydrated tomatoes will work as well! Soak your tomatoes in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain well. Chop and use in the recipe according to the instructions!
- I have not tested this recipe with any flour substitutions
This recipe was so delicious! It was pretty easy for a first-time bread baker. It tastes like something you would buy at a bakery!!
So happy you enjoyed!
This bread rocksss. I opted to leave out the parmesan cheese because my partner doesn’t like it-instead I added 30 grams of chopped kalamata olives for some extra flavor and saltiness. The bread dough was a little too wet with 360 ml of water, so I used 250 ml the next time I made it, which made shaping the dough a little easier. I served it with some homemade lemon butter and it was a hit!
Sounds like such an amazing combo!! So happy you enjoyed!
This recipe is amazing. It doubled in size while rising and it had such flavor. This is definitely add to my favorites and will definitely be made again! I sent a picture to my sister and she thought I had taken this picture from someone. I wish I could attach a picture. Make it as instructed and you will be amazed. I will be checking out other recipes. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed and hope you love my other recipes as well!!
Parchment Paper Tip: For a better fit in the dutch oven wad the paper into a tight ball. No flatten out the paper and it will be more pliable and make a nice fit in the dutch oven
So so yummy! Super approachable recipe, and will definitely be using again. I ate with the sun-dried tomato ricotta from the zucchini sandwich recipe, and it was absolutely wonderful.
Sounds amazing! I’m so glad you loved it 🙂
I made this gluten-free with King Arthur’s 1:1 because it was what I had on hand! So for anyone who wants to make it gf:
What I adjusted:
– Aside from adding a few spices, brushing the top with some oil from my tomatoes (before baking!), using oil in the bottom of my Dutch Oven instead of parchment, and adding 1 tbsp of sugar and maybe 1/4c. extra water to my dough when mixing (before rising).
– I did not feel the ~knead~ to adjust and pinch and pull my dough so much (good ol’ lack of stretchiness), I just shaped it together and slapped it a good few times for fun.
It turned out super tasty! A little dry and very slightly tough on the crust, but that’s what happens when using 1:1 gf flour (in my experience! :)). The taste was very nice and I paired it with the tomato compound butter, which helped the toughness of the crust!
Wow thanks Gabi! This is so helpful, I appreciate you sharing!
Delicious
Thank you Giulia!