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.
Kaylyn
Made it for the first time and it came out perfect. Couple of things I did 1) use warm water not cold; It helps the dough form better and 2) don’t go by the recipe time for kneading. 5-7 min is an estimate. I don’t own a mixer so I kneaded by hand and it took me 20 min to get the texture right/window test. I also doubled the tomato powder bc I love it so much. Keeping this one for sure!
Emma
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed this bread so much, Kaylyn! It can take some time to knead by hand, as everyone's kneading speed and technique is different. Happy baking!
S&J
2 Cups of water instead of 1.
That is it for criticisms .... this was EXCELLENT! Wife love Panera TBB sammich, and this was almost perfect. Will make a million times over, I'm sure. Thank you!
Emma
If you needed more water, that's to be expected. The humidity and brand of flour change the amount of liquid a bread recipe needs. I'm so glad you and your wife enjoyed the bread!
L
What size pan is used and is the dried tomato oiled packed?
Emma
I used a 5x10-inch loaf pan (there's a link in the recipe instructions), and the sun dried tomatoes are oil packed.
Kate A
The flavor is fantastic, it’s my first time making bread and it’s pretty dense. I also needed 2 cups of water for the dough, but i think I should have spent more than 10 minutes for the dough! But I’m excited to continue my bread making journey and this will definitely be a part of it!
Emma
Congratulations on making your first loaf, Kate! What an exciting start to your bread baking journey! Keep in mind that the exact amount of liquid in bread recipes can vary depending upon the humidity and the brand of flour you're using. Judge the kneading based on the windowpane test rather than just on the time. Have fun baking!
Dale Hoy
Turned out excellent first time! Am so happy with this, will definitely be a repeat recipe in our home. Makes great grilled cheese sandwiches.
Emma
That's lovely to hear, Dale! I'm so glad that this recipe worked out well for you on your first time. Happy baking!
cheryl laninga
my dough never got to the bread dough stage. it was in lumps and i kneaded it anyway. it seemed grainy when i made the 2 loves.
Emma
I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out, Cheryl. Maybe not enough liquid was added to the dry ingredients to bind them into a dough? If you can give me more info, I'll be happy to help you troubleshoot!
cheryl laninga
it says 1 cup of water. i needed to add 2 cups and it's turning out great! can't wait to eat it!
Emma
The exact amount of water needed in a bread recipe varies depending upon the protein content of the flour and the humidity of the room. Hope you enjoy it, Cheryl! Let us know how you enjoy it.
Glorimar
Thanks for the recipe! It turned out great. The texture is beautiful too. I used a bread machine just for kneading, shaped and baked in the oven. I think it tasted better than the one in Panera.
Great for soups and sandwiches of any kind.
Emma
Thanks so much, Glorimar! I'm so glad that you like this recipe better than Panera's. Enjoy!
Jess
i followed all the instructions for the loaf, however it ended up being a crumbly mess. it had no consistency of dough. did i do something wrong?
Emma
I'm sorry to hear that it wasn't a success for you, Jess! If you can give me more info about how you made the bread, I can help you troubleshoot to see what went wrong.
Sue
Can I use my bread machine to mix this? I don't have a mixer.
Emma
Yes, you can use the bread machine to mix up the dough, but I haven't tried using this method, as I don't own a bread machine. Let us know how it goes! (Or, you can make and knead the dough by hand.)
Glorimar
Excellent for the bread machine. I did the dough in the bread machine but baked in the oven. Right now is rising to go into the oven. I think is going to be great.
I will post a review once I try.
Wendy
I want to give this recipe a try but I’m thinking of swapping some flour and liquid with my sourdough starter. I notice on the Panera page is says the start with a sourdough starter. That would make a difference in the texture a bit.
Emma
That's a great idea, Wendy! Let me know how it goes with the starter.
Cody
Followed the recipe to a T, and found myself to be very disappointed in the turnout of my loaf. The loaf turned out very thick and dense more like banana bread, not light and fluffy at all, I sifted the flour as instructed hoping for that light fluffy bread as described. The topping was disappointing as it was very sweet more like sweet bread rather than Panera’s light crunch crisp topping. Any suggestions?
Emma
I'm sorry to hear that you were disappointed, Cody. I have always had great success with this recipe, and I am more than happy to help you troubleshoot if you would like. Keep in mind that the Panera topping is supposed to be sweet, which is exactly why the recipe makes a sweet topping.
Most breads turn out dense and thick when they are under-kneaded and underproved, and sifting the flour will not make up for these issues. Also, check to make your yeast is not expired, as dead yeast won't work at all. The recipe gives very clear directions as to the look and feel of the dough for kneading and when the loaf is sufficiently proved, which if followed exactly should prevent this difficulty.
Alex
The bread is soft and light, and the basil adds a slight tang. The tomatoes add a nice color and flavor. I pronounce this bread delicious!
Emma
Thank you, Alex! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this.
Beth
This bread is softer and fluffier than the Panera Bread version, but otherwise it is much the same. The sweet glaze on top is nice, but a scatter of cheese instead would be a nice variation. The tomatoes and basil make the bread taste and look good!
Emma
Thanks so much for your kind words about this bread, Beth!