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–+ servings
Best Homemade Basil Pesto Bread Recipe
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Homemade Basil Pesto Bread

Homemade basil pesto rolled into a fluffy yeast bread dough and baked into individual bread buns.
Course Bread
Cuisine European
Keyword Basil Pesto Bread
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
rise time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 2 dozen

Equipment

  • 2 12-cup muffin pans or cookie sheet
  • Food processor or blender
  • Basting brush

Ingredients

  • Bread Ingredients
  • 1 cup Whole milk
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Instant yeast
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 3 1/4 cups Bread flour or all purpose flour extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • Egg wash 1 egg + 1 tsp water
  • 1 tbsp Coarse salt
  • Pesto Ingredients
  • 2 cups Fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup Almonds or pine nuts
  • 1/3 cup Pecorino cheese parmesan cheese or non-dairy
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp Salt or to taste

Instructions

  • Bread Instructions
  • Warm the milk and dissolve sugar in the milk. Cool to at least 115 degrees. 
    Whisk in the yeast and allow to foam. 
  • In a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk the eggs and olive oil. Whisk in the milk/yeast mixture. 
    Slowly whisk in the flour and salt until the dough is soft smooth ball and not too sticky.
  • Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise 1 hour in a warm place (not hot). 
  • Homemade Pesto Instructions
  • Place the leaves, almonds and garlic in a food processor or blender. Grind until the nuts are broken.
    Add the salt, lemon juice and cheese and puree. While the machine is running, pour in the olive oil. Taste to adjust the salt.
  • Assemble Bread Form
  • Punch down the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough into a long narrow strip (or two), 8 inches wide. 
    Spread the basil pesto filling on top of the dough, leaving 2 inches along the long side without filling. 
    Brush a little of the egg wash along the long side of the dough without filling. 
  • Starting on the long side of dough with filling, tightly roll the dough into a long log. 
    With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 24 equal pieces. Place swirled side down into the muffin pan.
    Lightly brush egg wash across the tops of the visible swirl, sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt on top. Allow to a second rise of 20 minutes. 
  • Preheat oven to 350.
    Bake in the preheated oven until tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes.  
    Remove as soon as they are baked and place on a cooling rack
    Serve at room temperature. 

Video

Notes

Any extra pesto can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. 
For an alternative to buns, the dough once rolled, can be placed in a loaf pan, or 2, and baked into a loaf of bread with a golden crust.