Tomato Juice Bread

This is from the Fargo cookbook.  Mom starred it, which she told me meant she made it, but she couldn't remember how it was.  So I made it.  Yes, it sounds weird, which is one reason I made it.

Tomato Juice Bread

Yield: 2 loaves
1 package yeast
1/2 c warm water
3 T sugar
2 t salt
2 c tomato juice, scalded
2 T butter
7 1/2 c sifted flour

Temperature: 350 degrees

Scald tomato juice, add butter and cool to lukewarm.  Dissolve yeast in warm water in a 2 quart mixing bowl.  Add sugar, salt and cooled tomato juice mixture.  Add half of flour and beat well.  Continue adding flour until mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the bowl.  Turn out on floured surface and knead ten minutes.  Put in greased bowl Cover and let rise until double.  Punch down and let rise a second time.  Shape into loaves.  Place in well-greased loaf pans.  Let rise until not quite double in bulk.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

This was a bread we definitely had to get used to.  We kept eating little pieces trying to figure out if we liked it or not.  We decided we do.  It has a faint tomato taste to it and also a faint tomato-y appearance.  You can tell from the picture that the bread is a little dense, but I'm sure that's my fault. That seems to happen to every bread I make.  Oh well.

We will for sure make this again, but I can't guarantee that if you make it, you will like it.  But if you want to try something new, try this.