Tomato Egg Bread (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Making the Dough

01 - 6¾ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3 cups water at room temperature
03 - ½ teaspoon dry yeast, active
04 - 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
05 - 2 teaspoons coarse salt

→ Matbucha Sauce

06 - 12 vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, or 2 cans (28 oz each) of whole peeled tomatoes
07 - 2 tablespoons of olive oil
08 - 6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
09 - 1 or 2 jalapeños, deseeded and quartered
10 - 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of coarse salt
11 - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

→ Topping and Assembly

12 - Flour, for dusting surfaces
13 - Olive oil, for use as needed
14 - Nigella seeds or black sesame seeds, ¼ cup
15 - 6 eggs, large
16 - Sea salt, to taste
17 - Fresh parsley, finely chopped for garnish

# Instructions:

01 - Combine the dry yeast, flour, sugar, and salt in a big bowl. Add water and mix by hand until everything blends and there are no dry patches. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 30 minutes so the dough can begin to rise.
02 - Uncover the bowl and coat your hands with olive oil. Grab a section of dough from one side and fold it over into the center. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you've folded all sections in one complete circle. Flip the dough over using a scraper, cover again, and let rest for 20 minutes.
03 - Do another round of folding like before. Let the dough take another 20-minute nap.
04 - Heat olive oil in a deep pot over medium-low heat. Toss in the garlic slices and jalapeños. Stir occasionally and let the garlic cook until lightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Then, lower the heat to its lowest setting.
05 - Smush the peeled tomatoes by hand and gently add them to the pan. Sprinkle in the sugar and salt. Mix it all up, stirring every few minutes, and cook on low heat until the mixture thickens into a rich, spreadable sauce. It’ll take roughly 90 minutes. Let it cool afterwards.
06 - Dust your work area with flour and move the dough onto it. Stretch it to a rectangle roughly 14 x 8 inches, then slice it lengthwise into two halves. Slice each half into thirds to get 6 individual pieces. Shape each piece into a circle by folding the edges inward, then flip them over.
07 - Place the dough rounds on a floured tray and cover loosely with a clean towel. Let them rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
08 - Insert a pizza stone or steel into your oven. Set the temperature to 500°F (260°C) and let it preheat.
09 - Put parchment on a pizza peel and set two dough rounds on it. Dip your fingers in olive oil and press into the dough centers to create bowl-like spaces, leaving a 1-inch thick border. Smear about ⅓ cup of matbucha into the hollow, then sprinkle sesame seeds along the edges. Make a pocket in the sauce and crack in an egg. Season with salt. Repeat for the second round.
10 - Transfer the parchment with the dough rounds onto the heated pizza stone or steel. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the bread is golden and eggs are cooked. Pull them out of the oven when ready.
11 - Follow the same process for the remaining pieces of dough.
12 - Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy while it's warm.

# Notes:

01 - This mash-up combines classic shakshouka flavors with fluffy focaccia, making it the perfect choice for breakfast or brunch.
02 - Get ahead of the game by making the matbucha sauce the day before and storing it in the fridge.

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