Braided Pesto Bread is everything that is right in the world. It’s cheese, pesto, and bread. I know — the best! I’m not sure what else it could do to win you over short of baking itself, but if you too are longing for summer to never ever ever end, this one’s for you.
Here’s why we love it so much:
- Soft, stretchy dough that is easy to work with!
- A great use for any type of pesto! Our favorites are ramp pesto, walnut pesto, pistachio pesto, and arugula pesto!
- Great on its own, but even better as a savory french toast – yum!
- Easy enough to make that even non-bakers like myself can make it with ease!
Want to take your pesto bread loaf over the top? Add a generous schmear of pesto onto each slice before digging in. Tastes just like summer!
What’s In Pesto Bread?
The bread dough itself is made of all-purpose flour, yeast, whole milk, an egg, oil, and a little Kosher salt and sugar. Swirled into the dough is homemade pesto — it tastes like summer!
Pro Tip: Add shredded mozzarella before rolling if you want it extra cheesy.
What is basil pesto made of?
- Fresh basil
- Garlic
- Pine Nuts
- Olive oil
- Parmesan cheese
Pine nuts are fairly pricey, and if you don’t want to drop the cash on them you can substitute with walnuts or almonds. Just be sure to use nuts that are mild in flavor. Something like cashews or peanuts would totally overwhelm the delicate flavor of the fresh basil.
How To Make Pesto Bread
If you just looked at the total time needed to make this cheesy pesto bread, don’t freak. Most of the time required for this homemade bread is spent letting it rise.
- Make the bread dough using a stand mixer and a hook attachment. Let it rest after for at least 20 minutes. The flour needs time to relax before being braided.
- While the dough rests, make the homemade pesto by pulsing all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
- Roll out the dough and spread the pesto over it in an even layer. Roll the dough into a long log and then cut it down the center, leaving the top inch or two uncut. From here, you’ll be able to braid the dough in a loaf pan.
- Let the braided dough rise in a warm part of your kitchen for two hours.
- When ready to bake the bread, brush the beaten egg over top and then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella (if using) and additional Parmesan cheese. This pesto bread will need to bake for around 45 minutes.
Your house will smell amazing by the time it’s ready to come out of the oven. This is delicious on its own, or spread with butter or more pesto! Yum!
FAQs
Technically, yes. But homemade pesto is so much better than store-bought. You make the pesto while the bread dough is being mixed together, so you should have plenty of time to blitz together a quick batch of pesto! Try it next time with our garlic scape pesto!
Yes, simply wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap and a final layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months, sliced or unsliced. When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen bread, place it on your counter to thaw overnight.
With the long extended kneading time here, the dough should be pretty smooth. If you find it to be sticky, however, you can always dust it with a tiny bit of flour. Not too much, though!
Once completely cool, you can wrap tightly with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days. If past the first day, we recommend toasting to bring back to life.
Variations
- Try making this using Sun Dried Tomato Pesto! How fantastic would that be?!
- Cheese: Instead of mozzarella, try topping the pesto bread with shredded gruyere or smoked gouda. Love both!
How To Use Leftover Pesto
Creamy Breakfast Polenta with Pesto Chicken Pesto Pasta (with rotisserie chicken!) 25-Minute Pesto Gnocchi (with any pesto!) Healthy Pesto Zoodles With Salmon Crispy Chicken Pesto Panini Trenette al Pesto (From Disney-Pixar’s Luca!)
Expert Tips
- I know it’s a small detail, but make sure to cover the pesto bread with plastic wrap or a dish towel when you set it aside to rise for two hours. If you skip the plastic wrap, your pesto loaf won’t rise properly. The plastic wrap really makes a big difference!
- Milk: I don’t recommend substituting a different type of milk in the bread dough. Whole milk contains a lot of fat, which adds moisture and flavor to the dough. Skip the skim milk for this one.
- Be mindful of temperature. Note that your bread may need longer than two hours to rise. If you’re making this pesto bread in the middle of winter, your kitchen is likely cooler. Cooler temps mean it’s harder for dough to rise, so just be patient!
- Cool before slicing. Don’t slice into the braided pesto bread right away, be sure to let it cool or you can affect the texture.
If you make this Braided Cheesy Pesto Bread, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Braided Pesto Bread (Savory Babka!)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 (¼ oz) packet instant yeast
- ⅔ cups whole milk room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature, divided
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil such as grapeseed, avocado, or canola oil
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
For the pesto
- 2 cups basil packed
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cups pine nuts toasted
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup Parmesan grated
Optional
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Make the dough. Add 250g flour and 1 (¼ oz) packet of instant yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with hook attachment. Mix on low speed until blended. Add ⅔ cup milk, 1 large egg, 2 Tbsp neutral oil, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and ½ tsp granulated sugar. Mix on low speed for 30 minutes (yes, really!). Check after a few minutes to make sure all ingredients have been incorporated. If not, stop the mixer, scrape down the sides, then continue mixing. Meanwhile, make the pesto.
- Make the basil pesto. Place 1 garlic clove and ¼ cup pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment. Pulse until very finely chopped, then add 2 cups of basil. Pulse until well blended. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in ½ cup olive oil until a smooth sauce forms. Stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan, then set aside.
- Fold the dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, pushing down on the dough to release any bubbles. Gently pull the top of the dough down onto the bottom. Next, pull the right side of the dough over towards the left side. Pull the bottom of the dough up over to the top. Finally, stretch the left side of the dough over towards the right.
- Rest the dough. Turn the dough over so the seams are underneath. Smooth out the dough into a round ball, then transfer to a bowl sprayed with nonstick oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Spread pesto. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll dough out into a roughly 16" x 10" rectangle. Spread the pesto into a thin layer across the dough, leaving only a ½” border along the bottom. (Add ½ cup shredded mozzarella on top, if using.)
- Roll the dough. Dip your finger in water, then run it along the bottom exposed part of the dough. Roll the rectangle from top to bottom lengthwise.
- Shape the bread, then chill dough. Leaving about 1-2″ intact at the top, take a sharp knife and cut the dough in half lengthwise. Turn the dough cut side up, then twist to form a braided pattern. Place rolled dough into a loaf pan (10 ½” x 5 ½” x 3″) lined with parchment paper. If the dough is too large, tuck the ends underneath. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 2 – 2 ½ hours.
- Bake, then cool. When ready, preheat an oven to 375F. Brush the loaf with egg wash. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until dough is browned and slightly crispy on the outside and fully cooked on the inside. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Leftovers and storage: Once completely cool, you can wrap tightly with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days. If past the first day, we recommend toasting to bring back to life.
- Freezing: Allow to cool completely, then wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap and a final layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months, sliced or unsliced. When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen bread, place it on your counter to thaw overnight.
- Variations: Try using sun dried tomato pesto instead!
- Cheese: In place of mozzarella, try using shredded gruyere or smoked gouda!
Nutrition
Photography by: Cambrea of Cambrea Bakes
Can it be made without egg
Hi Neerja! I have not made this pesto bread without egg, however a good substitute is either vegetable oil (¼ cup in place of the egg) or flax eggs. To make, grind 1 Tbsp flax seed finely, then whisk with 3 Tbsp water until it reaches a gelatinous consistency. I have no clue what this will do to the texture of the bread, but it is absolutely possible to make this without the egg. Good luck!
Seriously, knead for 30 minutes? Proofreading, esp. for recipes, is important. But I love this recipe. Thank you!
Hi Lynne! Thanks so much for your feedback! The dough recipe is inspired by a recipe from the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook — the 30 minute kneading process was not a typo, but I can understand why you (and others!) may have thought that! It results in a wonderful, chewy texture for the bread though. I’m so glad you loved the recipe! xo
Love this recipe!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you loved it as much as I do! xo
Hi ! Didnt make this yet , What size loaf pan did u use?, and did you use parchment paper or anything in pan prior to putting dough in to rise? Thx, Beth
Hi Beth! I’ll update the instructions to include the loaf pan size, thanks for bringing that to my attention! The pan is 10 ½” x 5 ½” x 3″ (when measured on the top). No parchment needed!! Just spray the pan with nonstick baking or cooking spray and you should be good to go. Follow up with any questions if you need help! xo, Ari
Hi Beth,
I did try your recipe today. It came out awesome. Everyone in my family loved it. However, inhad to use 3 cups flour instead of 2 cups as mentioned in your recipe. So due to this salt proportion was less. Rest all was good. I’m definitely going to try this many more times.
Thanks dear.
Hi Seema! I have not needed to use more flour than included in the recipe whenever I’ve made this. Glad yours still worked out! The flavor of the pesto is the star, am I right?! SO GOOD! xo, Ari
This looks delicious. Wondering if I can use store-bought pesto, as I have some I’m trying to use up. If so, how much do I need?
Oh my gosh, OF COURSE you can!! Homemade pesto is a luxury we don’t always have, I’ve totally used store bought many times! I’d use about 1 cup. If you have a little less, don’t worry, use what you’ve got. And if you have extra, I like to spread a bit of pesto on top of each slice after it’s baked lol. ENJOY!
This looks delicious!
One comment, is the 1 + 1/4 oz yeast or one packet 1/4 oz yeast?
Hi Shelby! It’s 1 regular (1 ¼) oz package of yeast. 🙂 Sorry for the confusion!
Thank you!! My packets are 1/4 oz and I was about to make a big mistake 😀
WAIT WAIT WAIT, omg I’m sorry lol. I’ve been homeschooling my kids all day. I just checked my yeast packet. It’s ¼ oz as well. JUST USE ONE PACKET hashtag mom brain. Please forgive me!!!!
I LOVE pesto and cannot wait to try this! Unfortunately we do not have all of these ingredients on hand right now. Can we sub the whole milk for 2%? And olive oil instead of avocado oil?
Oh, for SURE! The 2% milk is totally fine. With the olive oil, just don’t use a super high quality olive oil — those tend to have a stronger flavor. Also, I save those for special things like finishing dishes just before serving (also, they’re very expensive, ya know?). Any run of the mill olive oil will work great here!! Report back! xo, Ari
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I was wondering instead of using a loaf pan, would I be able to set it on a baking sheet and let it rise there instead and if so do I just allow it to double in size and then bake it or just wait the 2-2.5 hours. Thank you in advance!
Hi Sammy! I have only ever baked this in a loaf pan. You could certainly let it rise and bake directly on a baking sheet (just use the 2-2 ½ hr rise time as indicated) — the texture of the bread won’t affected, but it will 100% change the shape. It’ll likely bake up more like a challah than a rectangular loaf. Let me know how it turns out if you try it that way! xo, Ari
This was my first foray into baking bread and I’m not disappointed! I really appreciate the clear instructions and video to help and it turned out great! I didn’t have instant yeast so I used regular and put it into the milk that I had warmed to 105 F. Worked well!
As I did more research, I think I may have over proved my loaf – set it out on our mantel at 75 degrees for 2 hours and 15 minutes. But even if I did, it still turned out delicious and definitely picture perfect. 🙂 A beautiful, tasty loaf that I will recommend to others.
Thank you!
Chris
Chris, I am SO glad you took the leap and attempted to make this pesto bread! I feel like it’s a good gateway bread lol, the dough is really forgiving. Thanks for leaving your feedback, love to hear that you enjoyed it as much as we do! xo, Ari
I made this cheesy pesto bread today (17th Feb 2021). Mostly I’ve been making more basic sourdough bread lately, so using an egg and milk took me back to loaves I baked ‘back in the day. Up in Humboldt County Cal we had loved a cheesy pesto loaf provided by our local bakery. I had idly thought of making it for years (especially now that we’ve moved and can’t find it at any bakeries in our new town), but never took action. Thanks to Covid sheltering in place (i.e., being a near shut-in!) I have the time to explore trying out new recipes. Thank you for posting this recipe. The consistency of the dough was great. The pesto recipe was standard, and just the right amount for the loaf. 45 minutes in the oven and the loaf was done, just as stated in the recipe. After 15 minutes on a cooling rack, I sliced a piece while still a bit warm, and added just a thin bit of butter. The bread was delicious. The texture was just as shown in the video. The crust was fantastic, and the pesto Parmesan flavor was just what was needed. Thanks for posting this receipe!
Steve, thank you for this in-depth review! Sounds like you absolutely nailed it. Enjoy the leftovers! xo, Ari
In the story you mention putting mozzarella and parm on top of the bread but that is not included in the recipe. Is that just whatever amount you want and if you want it?
Hi Sheryll! Thanks so much for bringing this up. I had originally published the recipe with shredded mozzarella on top of the pesto, but after retesting many times, we decided it didn’t need the extra cheese. However, I’ve gone back and revised the recipe card to include it (so that the story makes more sense!). It’s a nice to have but not a need to have, if that makes sense. Let me know what you think of the bread!! xo, Ari
This recipe sounds absolutely delicious! I’ve never attempted to make bread before, so step one in dough “assemblage” sounds very confusing. Is there a video somewhere of this recipe? I see the word “video” on here but there’s no hyperlink. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try this!!
Hi Rebecca! Yes, you can access the video directly here. It shows all the step-by-steps so you can feel confident when you go to make this at home! Let me know if you have any other questions, and I hope you love it! xo, Ari