Quick Pane Bianco Sun Dried Tomato Bread
This easy Pane Bianco is a soft Italian white bread filled with sun dried tomato pesto, basil, and Parmesan, ready in about 90 minutes.
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 203kcal
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese finely shredded
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup milk warmed to about 110°F
- ¼ cup water warmed to about 110°F
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 egg whisked
Filling
- ¾ cup sun dried tomato pesto
- 10 to 12 basil leaves
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese finely shredded
- 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Instructions
- Mix bread flour, sugar, instant yeast, salt, and grated parmesan cheese together in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer
- Add in milk, water, a beaten egg, and olive oil.
- Stir together into a shaggy dough.
- Knead on your stand mixer until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and you can shape it into a smooth ball that is tacky but not sticky. If kneading by hand, the dough should have the same consistency.
- Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and place in a warm environment until it has doubled in size, about 20 to 30 minutes
- Roll to a rectangle about 22" x 8", stretching the ends of the dough as needed to square it off.
- Spread sun-dried tomato pesto evenly over the surface, leaving about a 1 inch border all around.
- Hand tear basil leaves all over the surface.
- Grate 2 ounces of Parmesan cheese over top of everything.
- Starting from the long edge, use a gentle pushing motion to tuck and roll the dough, ensuring a tight spiral that hold all of the fillings.
- Pinch the seam and both ends shut tightly.
- Place the log of dough diagonally across a large parchment paper covered sheet pan, seam side down. Starting 1 inch from the near end, cut the log lengthwise down the center, about ½ inch deep, stopping about 1 inch from the other end.
- Gently twist the two halves around each other to form an "S" shape or a "figure 8" keeping the filling side facing up. Tuck both ends of the dough under the center of the "S" and pinch them together to seal.
- Cover and let rise another 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush exposed surfaces of dough with an egg wash consisting of one egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 200°F. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Video
Notes
If using active dry yeast: Combine water and whole milk and heat in the microwave until just warm, or about 110°. Add the oil. If using active dry yeast, add the yeast now and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes or until foamy.
Dough should be tacky, like the back of a sticky note, but not sticky. Check three minutes into kneading and if sticking to the side of the bowl, add one to 2 tablespoons of flour.
Use store bought pesto for convenience.
Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 1mg
