Description
Homemade pesto, mozzarella cheese, and garlic butter infuse into this soft and flaky pull-apart bread, making it an irresistible snack.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (180g/ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 and 1/3 cups (291g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 cup (125g) basil pesto (homemade recommended)
- 1 cup (125g / 4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese
- Optional for garnish: extra pesto
Instructions
- Make the dough: Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment, or use a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the warm milk, cover loosely, and let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
- Add the butter, egg, flour, salt, garlic powder, and dried basil. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes. The dough will be soft.
- Knead the dough for 5 minutes either in the mixer with the dough hook or by hand on a lightly floured surface. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking, but avoid over-flouring. Perform the windowpane test to check readiness.
- 1st Rise: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and let it rise in a warm environment until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.
- Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and prepare the pesto while the dough rises.
- Assemble the bread: Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces (about 50g each). Flatten each piece into a 4-inch circle, spread with 1-2 teaspoons of pesto, and sprinkle with 1 heaping tablespoon of mozzarella cheese. Fold each circle in half and line them up in the loaf pan with the round sides facing up.
- 2nd Rise: Cover with plastic wrap or foil and let the dough rise again in a warm environment for about 45 minutes, until puffy but not over-proofed.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and adjust the oven rack to the lower third position.
- Bake the bread for about 50 minutes, until golden brown. If the top browns too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.
- Remove the bread from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Brush the melted butter and garlic powder mixture on top of the warm bread, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and optionally garnish with extra pesto.
- Let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing and serving warm. Store leftovers at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Reheat as necessary before serving.
Notes
- For a warm environment to proof the dough, use the oven warm trick suggested in the Baking with Yeast Guide.
- Extra crispy on the outside, the bread hardens slightly after day 1 but can be reheated to restore softness.
- Best served warm with extra pesto for dipping.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (depending on cutting)
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
