Enjoy all the delicious flavors of tomatoes, basil, and garlic in one amazing loaf! This copycat Panera tomato basil bread has a beautifully soft texture, thin crust, and a sweet glaze that complements the dough. Whether you're enjoying it fresh or toasted, this bread will definitely be an unforgettable treat alongside a bowl of soup.
You'll also love our copycat recipes for Panera black pepper focaccia and Panera cinnamon crunch bagels. Don't miss our collection of 8 Panera copycat dessert recipes, too!
Ingredients
Like most bread recipes, this one uses many basic pantry staples. However, some of the mix-ins you may not keep at home, so you might have to run to the grocery store or place an online order.
- Flour: use a good-quality bread flour (affiliate), not all-purpose, for this recipe.
- Yeast: I like to use fast-action yeast, which doesn't need to be bloomed before using.
- Salt: fine table salt is the usual choice for bread.
- Oil: classic olive oil is the best choice for flavor.
- Water: filtered water warmed to 115 F is ideal.
- Spices: dried basil and tomato powder (affiliate) add flavor. The tomato powder is optional, but it does enrich the color and provide an extra depth of flavor. However, you'll probably only be able to order it online.
- Mix-Ins: minced garlic, finely chopped sun dried tomatoes are what we're using. If you're not using the oil-packed tomatoes, make sure to soak them in boiling water for 10 minutes before chopping.
- Sweet Glaze: this takes standard baking staples, like brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and olive oil.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! Right now, a loaf sells for $5.79, but the prices vary depending upon the location. It's probably cheaper to make your own!
Unfortunately, the Panera version isn't vegan, because the sweet glaze on top contains honey. This copycat version also uses honey in the glaze, but you can easily substitute agave nectar for it.
According to the Panera website, the average slice of their tomato basil bread is 130 calories, 330mg of sodium, 27g of carbs, and 1g of protein. If this copycat loaf is sliced into 16 equal slices, each piece contains 165 calories, 195mg of sodium, 26g of carbs, and 4g of protein. You can always reduce the calories per serving by slicing the bread thinner.
Yes, you definitely can! Almost every kind of bread can be frozen, and this is no exception. I like to pre-slice my bread before freezing it, then I seal it in a zip-top freezer bag. Be sure to eat it up within 3 months for the best taste.
How to Make Panera Tomato Basil Bread
Gather the ingredients for the bread.
Pan fry the minced garlic in oil until it is lightly browned. This will add additional flavor to the bread.
Sift the bread flour into a mixing bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides, stirring each one in with your finger. Mix in the olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, and tomato powder.
Gradually add the water and mix until a sticky dough forms.
Switch attachments to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough passes the windowpane test, about 5-7 minutes. See the recipe card for a description of this technique.
Shape the dough into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until it's at least doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and shape it into two logs. Place them side by side in a parchment-lined loaf pan, cover, and let the loaf rise until it's springy to the touch, about 45 minutes.
Bake at 400 F for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the sweet glaze ingredients until blended. After the bread has cooked for 25 minutes, brush the topping on top and bake for another 5 minutes.
Let the bread cool for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving because the bread will continue to cook through to the center.
Expert Tips
- Avoid using all-purpose flour for this recipe, as it lacks the protein content necessary to create a high rising, chewy loaf.
- Ensure a thin, soft crust by sifting the flour.
- Don't know if the dough is kneaded enough? Make sure it passes the windowpane test. (See the recipe card to learn this technique.)
- Use steam to speed up the rise. Place the dough in a cold oven and put a pan of boiling water on a shelf beneath the dough. The steam will gently warm it up, encouraging the yeast to work faster.
- Use the dried tomato powder for additional flavor and color.
Other Panera Bread Copycat Recipes
Recipe
Panera Tomato Basil Bread
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 4 ⅛ cups bread flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons fast-action yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 ½ teaspoons tomato powder
- 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
- 1 cup water, plus more if needed
For the Topping
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons water
Instructions
- Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a small frying pan until shimmering, then add the minced garlic and cook until golden brown. Set aside.
- Sift the bread flour into a mixing bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, stirring each one in with your finger.
- Add the olive oil, sauteed garlic, basil, tomato powder, and sun dried tomatoes and stir with the paddle attachment on low speed to combine. Gradually trickle in the water and mix to form a slightly sticky dough. Depending upon the brand of flour and humidity, you may need to add more than 1 cup of water.
- Switch attachments to the dough hook and knead for 5-7 minutes, or until it passes the windowpane test. This means that a piece of dough can be stretched until it's translucent in places without tearing.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and put in a warm place until it has at least doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log and place in a parchment-lined loaf pan.
- Cover and let the loaf rise until it is springy to the touch, about 45 minutes.
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl until it has the consistency of thick paint, then set aside.
- Bake the bread at 400°F for 25 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and quickly brush on the topping, then bake for another 5 minutes, or until the loaf has an internal temperature of 200°F on a meat thermometer.
- Transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely (at least 1 hour) before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- Use bread flour, not all-purpose, for this recipe. All-purpose lacks the protein content necessary to create a high rising, chewy loaf.
- Sifting the flour helps the bread have a thin, soft crust.
- Don't skimp on the kneading; it's one of the most important steps in bread making. Be sure the dough passes the windowpane test before proceeding.
- If the dough is taking a long time to rise, place it in a cold oven and put a pan of boiling water on a shelf beneath the dough. The steam will gently warm it up, encouraging the yeast to work faster.
- Want this vegan? Substitute the honey in the glaze with agave nectar or maple syrup.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
kathleen byers
What size loaf pan do I need, I recently received some of this bread and it was delicious and want to try making this recipe, however most of my loaf pans are only 4x8 or 5x7 and the bread was much longer
Emma Fajcz
I recommend using a 9x5-inch loaf pan for this recipe. You can use one that's slightly smaller, but the loaf will be taller, and might cook a little differently as a result.
Marylou
So delicious!
Emma Fajcz
So glad you enjoyed the bread, Marylou!
Deb jensen
Bread turned out perfect texture and look. However the taste was inedible. I think it was the tomato powder? I used 2-1/2 tsp of the brand you recommended….is the recipe wrong? It didn’t even smell good as dough but I thought maybe it would improve. Any ideas???? I’d really like to make it again but need to change the taste. Love Panera breads vesrsion
Emma Fajcz
I have no idea what went wrong, Deb. I'm sorry that the bread didn't work out for you. Perhaps the tomato powder or one of the other ingredients was a little off?
Donna G
Your instructions say to sift the flour into the bowl. Is this after measuring it out, or after? Before, you get too much flour for liquid. Please clarify.
Emma Fajcz
The sifting occurs after measuring the flour. I always weigh the flour instead of measuring by volume.
Tami k
I made this bread today. I didn't have a dough hook or a bread machine. I just kneaded it by hand. it didn't taste as good as Panerai. it wasn't as airy. the cinnamon topping glaze,made it taste like a dessert bread. I don't have an oven like Panera ,of course. but turned out good considering my oven is from 1982 and I used it all the time to bake
Emma Fajcz
I'm glad you enjoyed the bread, Tami! If your loaf wasn't as airy, it may not have been kneaded long enough or risen long enough. The cinnamon glaze isn't my favorite, but I had to include it in the recipe since Panera does. Happy baking!
Karin
The recipe is delicious!! I have used tomato paste instead of tomato powder and it worked. Unfortunately the total time it takes to make is not 1 hr 30 minutes as the instructions say. When you follow the directions it takes around 2 hrs 25-30 minutes with the rise time and bake time.
Emma Fajcz
I'm happy that the bread turned out good, Karin! Thanks for your review. For some reason, the recipe card wasn't including the proving time in the total time, but it's now fixed.
Arianna
Made this recipe today, the wet to dry ratio is very off!! I used only 3 cups of flour and had to use about 1 and a 1/4 cups of water without the final 1+ cup. i would say you only need 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups of flour for this recipe, plus some for kneading. I also used the oil drained from the tomatoes plus olive oil for the 1/4 cup of oil instead of the tomato powder, couldn't find any locally.
Emma Fajcz
I'm sorry that you found the wet-to-dry ratio off, Arianna. I've made this recipe a few times and have never had that issue. With any bread recipe, the amount of liquid can vary significantly based on the humidity and the brand of flour. Often in the winter, I find that I need to add extra water to my dough because of the lower humidity. It's always good to go by the feel of the dough rather than by a hard-and-fast number.
Chrissy
I am glad a lot of people like this bread , me too , I am looking for every recipe which does not have any product bioengineering ingredients . Thank you for Panera bread ,keep up the good work and caring for the health of the customers.
Emma Fajcz
We hope you enjoy this recipe!
Tami k
looks fabulous. I dont have a kitchen aid type mixer with a padded or dough hook. I am wondering if I can just mix and knead by hand? I even bought the tomato powder, now I must made the bread.
Emma Fajcz
Yes, you absolutely can make this by hand! You'll have to knead for about 10 minutes.
Tami k
thank you.I. m going to make it this .week for My dad's birthday dinner . I'm making rigatoni, salad and Texas sheet cake
Emma Fajcz
Sounds like a delicious dinner, Tami! Have fun baking this bread.
Cheryl
Can you use a bread machine? If so.. what setting?? Looks delicious!
Emma Fajcz
Yes, you can make the bread in a bread machine, but I haven't tested it with that method and can't give exact advice. I would recommend following your machine's instructions for regular white bread; this loaf is very similar to that. Let me know how it goes!
Amber
I wish I had read the reviews before making because I needed to add an additional 1 1/4 cup of water to mine. I was worried I would ruin the recipe but I knew what my dough needed to feel like so I went for it and I'm very happy that I did.
Otherwise, the recipe was very thorough and easy to navigate, this bread turned out delicious!!
Emma Fajcz
I'm glad you enjoyed the bread, Amber! It's important to remember that an accurate flour measurement is key when making bread, and that depending upon the humidity and brand of flour, extra water may be needed. The liquid in a bread recipe is a guideline rather than a hard-and-fast rule.