Sun-dried Tomato and Herb Rolls

My sister, Connie made a lovely capon dinner tonight and my contribution was a Greek salad and these sun-dried tomato herb rolls.  It was the first time I made these and while I felt they were a little heavy, they were quite tasty so I will make them again.  Give them a try!  An easy recipe if you are a novice bread baker.

Ingredients

12 sun-dried tomato halves (not packed in oil)

1 Tbsp yeast (or one envelope)

1 1/4 cups warm water

1/4 tsp sugar

3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

2 tsp fresh sage, minced

1 egg

Start by pouring very hot water over the tomato in a bowl to re-hydrate.  You might need to do this a couple of times.  I did.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes each time.  I gently squeezed out the excess water and cut tomato into slivers.



To make the actual bread, I used my stand mixer but a food processor or a bowl and some elbow-grease would work as well.  Start by proofing your yeast - warm water, yeast and sugar.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it is nice and foamy and "live".  Then add the flour and salt and mix well until it is smooth and elastic.  Lightly oil a bowl and turn the dough over in it.  Place a clean tea towel over it and let it rise in a warm place for an hour.  It will double in size.

Once your dough has risen, finely chop the rosemary and sage.  Don't do it too far in advance or it might blacken.  Spread some flour on a clean counter or board.  Turn your dough out onto it and knead the tomato and herbs into it.  Knead until it is well mixed and add as much flour as you need to stop it from sticking to the counter.  Then cut the dough into 12 roughly equal pieces. 

Knead them into oval or round shapes and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet in order to rise again.  Cover with the tea towel and let rest another hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Make an egg wash with an egg and a Tbsp of water.  Brush each roll so it will bake brown and shiny.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!