Sun-Dried Tomato Bread with Shallots and Herbs

This recipe uses some of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes giving the bread a red tone.  There is lots of flavour in this loaf and it is easy to adjust the flavour by switching the herbs to your favourite variety.    Fresh herbs give the best flavour.  From Food & Drink Winter 2012.

1 tsp olive oil
3 large shallots
1/2 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tbsp yeast, instant or traditional
1 3/4 cups water, just warm to the touch
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp oil drained from sun-drained tomatoes
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
4 to 5 cups all purpose flour

1. Heat olive oil in a very small frying pan over medium heat.  Add shallots; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened.  Cool to lukewarm; stir in sun-dried tomato bits.
2. Proof yeast by stirring warm water with sugar and sprinkling yeast overtop, then setting aside for 5 to 10 minutes.  Then stir to dissolve yeast completely.
3. Meanwhile stir tomato oil, thyme, salt and oregano in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. (I don't have this so I just use the old fashioned method of stirring by hand).  Stir in the proofed yeast mixture.  Slowly add 3 cups of flour, mixing well.
4. Stir 1/4 cup flour into shallot mixture; add to dough, mixing in well.  Continue adding flour until dough is becoming hard to stir.  Then turn out onto a well floured work surface or continue to use stand mixer.
5. Begin to knead dough, adding flour slowly as needed to have a soft yet well-formed dough, from 5 to 10 minutes.  All flour may not be needed.  Turn into a large generously oiled bowl; turn dough ball in bowl so all is coated with oil.  Loosely cover with a piece of plastic wrap; let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.  (For delayed baking, turn dough that has not yet risen into a large oiled mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for up to a day.  While refrigerated, dough rises slowly.  When ready to bake, go directly to step 6 to shape loaf.)
6. Preheat oven to 375F.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Pressing down to burst large bubbles, press out dough into a 12 inch square.  Tightly roll up into a long loaf.  Place, smooth side up on large parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Lightly oil top of loaf with additional olive or tomato oil; loosely cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise on top of or in vicinity of warm oven (not over oven vent) for 30 to 45 minutes or until dough has doubled. (Refrigerated dough takes about 1 1/4 hours to double.)
8. Remove plastic wrap.  Using a serrated knife gently placed on top of the loaf, draw knife gently across top of dough to form a pattern of 4 or 5 evenly spaced shallow slashes.
9. Bake in centre of preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and the smell of baking bread is very evident.  A tap on loaf bottom sounds hollow.  Take off baking sheet and cool on a rack.  Serve accompanied with a dish of garlicky olive for dipping.