Pesto Bread
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This delectable Pesto Bread brings together a flavorful blend of enriched dough and mouthwatering basil pesto sauce. Follow my detailed guide to skillfully weave the sauce into the dough and achieve a perfectly baked masterpiece!
Homemade Pesto Bread
Bread is my love language, and today that language is bursting with the tastiest pesto sauce. Wowza, this one is going to impress your taste buds – I guarantee it.
The dough in this recipe is similar to my Brioche Dinner Rolls but uses olive oil instead of butter. This enriched dough requires a brief lesson.
Enriched dough contains a high percentage of fat – thanks to eggs, milk, and/or butter (or olive oil in this case) – and is also sweeter than its lean counterpart (like a simple crusty loaf).
Fat (whether from butter, eggs, or milk) tenderizes dough by coating and shortening the gluten strands. This creates a much softer crust and more tender crumb than a lower-fat alternative. However, fat also slows down yeast activity, requiring a longer fermentation time which also helps to develop more flavor.
The extra sugar also hinders yeast activity. Sugar attracts water, leaving the yeast and sugar to fight over the limited water resource in the dough.
Why This Recipe Works:
- SIMPLE – If you’re familiar with making homemade bread, you’ll agree that is a simple recipe using basic ingredients. If you’re new to baking, just follow along with my step-by-step instructions. The hardest part is waiting for it to bake!
- MOUTH-WATERING – Our homemade basil pesto sauce is simply the best, and adding it to bread is even better. Watch out because your saliva glands will take over (in a good way). Such a flavorful bread!
- MAKES GREAT PANINIS – Thinly slice the fresh bread and then make the best panini sandwiches. We love ham and cheese, grilled cheese, and sliced meatballs for game day!
Ingredients Used:
- Active Dry Yeast – I use Red Star Active Dry Yeast.**
- Granulated Sugar
- 2% Milk (or use whole milk)
- Large Eggs
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or use melted butter in its place)
- All-Purpose Flour
- Kosher Salt
- Pesto Sauce – Make your own pesto (our homemade pesto sauce recipe is best!) or use store-bought.
- Egg Wash
Active Dry Yeast vs Instant Yeast:
As a rule, I only use Active Dry Yeast in my bread baking. You can use Instant Yeast as well but will need just a little bit less. Instant Yeast also requires less time to rise, but since I live in a fairly warm, humid climate (Texas), I’ve never had a problem with my bread rising.
- Active Dry Yeast – A type of dry yeast that’s granular, similar to cornmeal. This yeast is a dormant organism until proofed, requiring a small amount of lukewarm water and a pinch of sugar to activate.
- Instant Yeast – Also known as quick-rise, rapid-rise yeast, or even bread machine yeast. This yeast is milled into smaller particles so it doesn’t need to be dissolved into water. The dough rises faster with this yeast because enzymes and other additives are included to make this happen. You don’t ever need to do more than one rise with this yeast.
Note: You can definitely make this recipe by hand instead of using a stand mixer. It will take a little bit more time and some arm strength, but it can be done.
How to make Pesto Bread:
Step 1
Make homemade basil pesto sauce. In a food processor, combine fresh basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, freshly shredded parmesan cheese, and fresh garlic. Pulse until well combined.
Then start food processor and drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil until you get your desired consistency.
Pesto fans, are you looking for more recipes? Try our Creamy Pesto Gnocchi, Shrimp Pesto Flatbread, Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad, and Pesto Veggie Sandwich.
Step 2
Make dough. Combine yeast, sugar, and warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with a spatula and let the yeast mixture sit for about 15 minutes or until the yeast is activated. (You will see it bubble and foam.)
Then add the olive oil, eggs, and salt – and mix well. Attach a dough hook attachment and add four cups of bread flour. Run mixer on medium speed until flour is well absorbed, pausing the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Then gradually add the remaining flour until you get your desired consistency. You may need a little less or more flour than listed.
** If you weigh the ingredients in grams, you will be able to get a more consistent dough. When I weighed the ingredients, I used about 600 grams of flour (or 5 cups). Precise measurements are a HUGE factor, but it’s not a requirement.
Step 3
Let dough rise. When dough is well-mixed and slightly tacky, transfer the dough to a large greased bowl. Punch the dough down, pulling the outsides of the dough into the center and forming it into a smooth ball. Cover with a clean towel (or plastic wrap) and let the dough sit in a warm place in your kitchen – until dough almost doubles in size, about one hour.
Step 4
Press dough into a rectangle. Grease a large mat with oil. Transfer half of the dough to the mat and form into a large rectangle.
Step 5
Add pesto sauce. Spread half of the pesto sauce on top of the rectangle, smoothing it to all sides while leaving about 1/2 inch on the edges.
Step 6
Roll into a log. Use your hands to roll up the rectangle into a long log.
Step 7
Cut dough. Use kitchen shears to cut the log in half lengthwise, leaving about an inch at the top.
Step 8
Braid dough. Take both cut sides of the log and twist it into a braid. It might look messy but that’s ok.
Step 9
Place braided dough in pan. Carefully transfer the braided dough into an oiled bread pan. Repeat with remaining dough.
Try our Cinnamon Twist Roll for another braided recipe!
Step 10
Let rise again. Cover both pans with the towel and let rise again, about 45 minutes. Then brush an egg wash on top of the dough.
Step 11
Bake bread. Bake bread in a 375-degree preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until done and golden brown.
Step 12
Cool. Let the bread rest in pans for about 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Let the bread fully cool at room temperature before slicing.
Storing and Freezing
- Storing Tip: This bread is best fresh the first day! It can be stored in an airtight container or storage bags at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freezing Tip: You can freeze this bread in freezer bags for up to three months.
How to eat pesto bread:
- Just a slathering of butter is nice.
- Try adding a slice of cheese – smoked gouda, creamy Havarti, or Monterey jack.
- Make it into a grilled cheese or panini sandwich. Try our pesto veggie sandwich!
- Add this delicious bread to a charcuterie platter with meats and cheese.
Other Delicious Bread Recipes:
- Multigrain Bread Recipe – Full of seeds and a little bit healthier.
- Italian Herb Bread – A new favorite Italian bread recipe that you should try next time!
- Whole Wheat Honey Bread – Makes great sandwiches.
- Cracked Wheat Bread – My momma’s famous bread that she made again and again.
- Jalapeno Cheddar Focaccia – Another take on my jalapeno cheddar obsession.
- Cinnamon Twist Bread – This one makes excellent French Toast!
Have you tried making sourdough? Use my Sourdough Starter Basics tutorial to make your own starter and turn it into delicious bread. Our favorites are Garlic Sourdough Bread, Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread, and Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Pesto Bread Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 Tablespoon yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 ⅔ cup 2% milk (374 grams) – slightly warmed
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (54 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 5 cups bread flour (600 grams) – or to right consistency
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
For the pesto sauce:
- 4 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Make homemade basil pesto sauce. In a food processor, combine fresh basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, freshly shredded parmesan cheese, and fresh garlic. Pulse until well combined. Then start food processor and drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil until you get your desired consistency.
- Make dough. Combine yeast, sugar, and warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with a spatula and let the yeast mixture sit for about 15 minutes or until the yeast is activated. (You will see it bubble and foam.)Then add the olive oil, eggs, and salt – and mix well. Attach a dough hook attachment and add four cups of bread flour. Run mixer on medium speed until flour is well absorbed, pausing the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.Then gradually add the remaining flour until you get your desired consistency. You may need a little less or more flour than listed.
- Let dough rise. When dough is well-mixed and slightly tacky, transfer the dough to a large greased bowl. Punch the dough down, pulling the outsides of the dough into the center and forming it into a smooth ball. Cover with a clean towel (or plastic wrap) and let the dough sit in a warm place in your kitchen – until dough almost doubles in size, about one hour.
- Press dough into a rectangle. Grease a large mat with oil. Transfer half of the dough to the mat and form into a large rectangle.
- Add pesto sauce. Spread half of the pesto sauce on top of the rectangle, smoothing it to all sides while leaving about 1/2 inch on the edges.
- Roll into a log. Use your hands to roll up the rectangle into a long log.
- Cut dough. Use kitchen shears to cut the log in half lengthwise, leaving about an inch at the top.
- Braid dough. Take both cut sides of the log and twist it into a braid. It might look messy but that’s ok.
- Place braided dough in pan. Carefully transfer the braided dough into an oiled bread pan. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Place braided dough in pan. Carefully transfer the braided dough into an oiled bread pan. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake bread. Bake bread in a 375-degree preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until done and golden brown.
- Cool. Let the bread rest in pans for about 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Let the bread fully cool at room temperature before slicing.
What if you don’t have a stand mixer?????
You can make any bread recipe on the site by hand. I have always used a mixer for my bread recipes but you could watch YouTube videos on how to make bread by hand.
What an amazing recipe! I love the use it in a panini tip!