Cheesy Braided Pesto Bread

With literal swirls of cheese and pesto braided in, you will be amazed at how much flavor is packed into this pesto bread. Cheesy mozzarella is offset with garlicky, basil pesto.

The best part? Because of how the bread is braided with the filling on the top, the cheese gets that amazing crispy bits. You know, those crunchy little bits of goodness the family fights over? The whole bread is topped with that. You’re welcome.

What is a Pesto Bread?

My pesto bread is a riff on a classic pesto loaf bread. Creating this flatter, wider shape instead of the loaf shape allows for, frankly, more cheesy crisps on top.

I wanted a dough that would be soft and rich, so this recipe will be for an enriched dough. An enriched dough is a bread dough that has extras added in, like eggs and butter, to increase the flavor and texture.

I use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to make the dough, but you can also knead the dough by hand. Because we are using an active dry yeast, our first step is to activate the yeast, or wake it up. Warm the milk slightly in the microwave or on the stove.

Just barely above body temperature, 110° – 115°F. This will wake the yeast up, but if the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Sprinkle a little bit of the sugar on top. Yeast LOVES sugar. Almost as much as I do. This will really perk it up.

After a few minutes, you should see the yeast start to froth up. If after 15 minutes, there’s no change, you have dead yeast and you will need to start over with a fresh packet. Now, stir in the butter, eggs and remaining sugar to the yeast mixture.

Hold off on the salt and add that with the flour. Yeast, ever so temperamental, doesn’t like salt. Adding with the flour will keep the two separated. Only add as much flour as needed. Start at the lower amount of flour, and add a spoonful more at a time until the dough is no longer wet and sticky, but still soft and squishy (all technical terms).

Continue to let the dough knead until smooth, about 5-7 minutes with the mixer on medium speed, or 10-12 minutes if kneading by hand. Let the dough proof, or rise, until doubled in size before continuing with the braid.

Making a Braided Bread

You might think this braided bread looks ridiculously complicated. I promise, it’s not as fancy as it looks, and it’s totally doable. If you’ve made a cinnamon roll before, you’re already more than half-way there on the process.

Roll the dough out into a 12″ x 18″ rectangle, with the long edge facing you. Spread the pesto to three of the edges, leaving 1/2″ of the farther long edge clean. You can find my recipe for Homemade Pesto Sauce, or use a quality store bought brand.

I like Raos, but there are other good ones out there! Sprinkle a bit of red pepper flakes on top if you like. Then spread the cheese evenly on top of the pesto.

Now comes the fun part. With the long edge facing you, begin rolling the rectangle up into a log. Dab a little water on the clean long edge to help seal the log together (just like with a cinnamon roll). With a sharp knife, slice the log down the center lengthwise, leaving the top 1″ in tact.

You should have two strands attached at the top – think of a wishbone shape, or a friendship bracelet you made as a kid. Now, turn the strands so the sliced edges are facing up and the filling is exposed.

Gently lift one of the strands over the top of the other. Repeat, placing the bottom strand up and over the top. Repeat to the end. Press the two ends of the strands together before bringing the two ends of the log together to create a circle. Keep the sliced edges with the filling facing up the entire time.

Delicately transfer to a greased 9″ cast-iron pan. Or if preferred, work directly on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cover lightly for a second proof before baking. Serve immediately or rewarm in the oven on 350°F for 5-7 minutes.