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. Combine the warm water and pureed tomatoes in a measuring cup - making sure that the water remains warm even with the tomatoes mixed in. (Add water that's a little hotter than you think you will need because the tomatoes might cool it down). 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.

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.

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.

Remove the dough from the bowl and bring it back to the floured board. Cut it into three even pieces. Twist and stretch the dough into three ropes of equal width and length, approximately two inches wide by 18 inches long. Holding the ends of the three strands, braid the strands into one long braid (To braid: take the right strand and move it over the middle strand to become the new middle strand. Then take the left strand and move it over the middle strand to become the new middle strand. Repeat until the braid is complete.) Curl the braid into a ring and carefully seal the edges together.

Combine the remaining egg yolk with one teaspoon of water and brush the mixture all over the bread. Place the bread on a greased baking sheet and set in a warm place, free from drafts, to rise again. Let the bread rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour.

Finally, set the cherry tomatoes into crevices in the bread, pressing down gently to secure the position. Bake the bread at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy on the outside. Remove from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.