Braided Pesto Bread Tastes Like Summer!
Braided pesto bread is everything that is right in the world. It’s cheese, pesto, and bread. I KNOW. 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, 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. Running throughout the bread is homemade pesto — it tastes like summer! You can add shredded mozzarella before rolling if you want it extra cheesy!
What is pesto made of? It’s a simple combination of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. Pine nuts are fairly pricey, and if you don’t want to drop the cash on them I’ve seen pesto recipes made with walnuts and almonds as well. Just be aware that if you decide to substitute another nut for pine nuts you need to use one that’s 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. Easy, right?
You first need to make the bread dough and let it sit for a good 20 minutes in an oiled bowl (after being worked into a dough, the flour needs some 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.
Then, roll out the dough and smear the pesto over it in an even layer. Roll the dough into a long log and then cut it in the center. 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.
Can I Use Store-Bought Pesto?
Technically, yes. But homemade pesto is so much better than the store-bought stuff. 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!
Can I Freeze Pesto Bread?
Yes, simply wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap and a final layer of aluminum foil. When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen bread, place it on your counter to thaw overnight.
Tips For Making Pesto Bread
I know it’s a small detail, but make sure to cover the pesto bread with plastic wrap 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!
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. Whatever you do, don’t use skim milk in this recipe.
Also 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!
If you make my cheesy pesto bread, please let me know by leaving a review below!
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Other Baked Goods To Try!
- Blueberry Streusel Mini Muffins
- Cheddar and Sage Biscuits
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream
- Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake
Cheesy Pesto Bread Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 (¼ oz) packet instant yeast
- ⅔ cups whole milk
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
For the pesto:
- 2 cups basil (packed)
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cups pine nuts (toasted)
- ¼ – ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup Parmesan (grated)
- 1 egg whisked
Optional
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
To make the dough:
- Add 2 cups flour and 1 packet yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with hook attachment and mix on low speed until blended. Add all remaining dough ingredients, then mix on low speed for 30 minutes. Check after a few minutes to make sure all ingredients have been incorporated. If not, stop mixer, scrape down sides, then continue mixing. Meanwhile, make the pesto.
To make the pesto:
- Place 1 garlic clove and ¼ cup pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor with blade attached. Pulse until finely chopped. Add 2 cups basil and pulse until well blended.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle in ¼ – ½ cup olive oil until a smooth sauce forms. Stir in ½ cup Parmesan and set aside.
To assemble:
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, pushing down on the down 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.
- 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.
- 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 shredded mozzarella on top, if using.)
- Dip your finger in water, then run it along the bottom exposed part of the dough. Roll the rectangle from top to bottom lengthwise.
- Leaving about 1-2″ in tact 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.
- When ready, preheat oven to 375 F. Brush 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.
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