Festive Tomato Rolls

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, and undissolved yeast. Cut the butter into pieces and add it to the dry ingredient mixture.
2. Open the can of cherry tomatoes and carefully drain the tomato puree from the cherry tomatoes. Set the cherry tomatoes aside. Add water to the tomato puree so that you have 1 cup of liquid. Heat the liquid (in a microwave or over the stove) until it is very warm, about 120 degrees.
3. Gradually add the warm water/tomato mixture to the dry ingredients and beat for two minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer, scraping the bowl occasionally.
4. Add three of the eggs plus one egg white (reserve the yolk for later), and 1/2 cup additional flour. Beat at medium speed for two minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it until it is smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl (we coat ours with olive oil) and turn the dough so that all sides are greased. Cover, put in a warm place free from drafts, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour.
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and bring it back to the floured board. Cut it into 16 even pieces. Twist and stretch each piece of dough into a rope approximately 1 1/2 inches wide by 18 inches long.
7. Tie each rope into a loose simple knot with at least two inches loose on each end of the knot. Take the loose end on the left and tuck it into the hole in the center of the knot. Take the loose end on the right and bring it down outside the knot and up through the center. Press the two ends together in the center and roll and squeeze the roll into a rounded shape. Place the knots on a greased baking sheet.
8. Combine the remaining egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water and mix thoroughly. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg yolk mixture over each roll. Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place for one hour.
9. Remove tomato rolls from warming spot and place a cherry tomato in the center of each knot. Sprinkle the knots with sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Recipe created by Jeanne Fratello (The Jolly Tomato) on behalf of Mangia, Inc.

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