Description
This Pesto Pull Apart Bread recipe offers a soft, flavorful loaf layered with aromatic basil pesto and gooey mozzarella cheese. Perfect for sharing, this savory bread features a golden crust brushed with garlic butter and sprinkled with parmesan, making it a delightful appetizer or side dish for any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough:
- 2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Filling:
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Topping:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese
- Optional: extra pesto for garnish
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment, combine yeast and sugar. Whisk in warm milk. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
- Mix dough: Add softened butter, egg, flour, salt, garlic powder, and dried basil to the yeast mixture. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes until soft dough forms.
- Knead the dough: Switch to the dough hook and continue kneading for an additional 5 minutes or knead by hand on a floured surface for 5 minutes. If dough is too sticky, add flour 1 teaspoon at a time, keeping dough soft. Test readiness by poking or performing the windowpane test.
- First rise: Shape dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
- Prepare pan and pesto: Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan while dough rises. Have pesto ready for filling.
- Assemble and fill bread: Punch down risen dough and divide into 12 equal pieces (~1/4 cup or 50g each). Flatten each piece into a 4-inch diameter circle. Spread 1-2 teaspoons pesto on each, sprinkle with 1 heaping tablespoon mozzarella, fold in half, and arrange round side up in the loaf pan.
- Second rise: Cover the filled dough with plastic wrap or foil and rise in a warm spot until puffy, about 45 minutes. Avoid overproofing to prevent overflow during baking.
- Preheat oven: Adjust oven rack to lower third position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake: Bake bread for about 50 minutes until golden brown. Tent with foil if top browns too quickly. Remove from oven and cool on a rack briefly.
- Prepare topping and finish: Mix melted butter with garlic powder. Brush warm bread with the butter mixture and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Optionally, add extra pesto garnish. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before serving warm.
- Storage: Store leftover bread covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 1 week. To refresh, reheat in a 300°F oven for 10-15 minutes or microwave briefly for a softer interior.
Notes
- Use warm milk (about 110°F) to activate the yeast properly without killing it.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, knead dough by hand on a floured surface.
- Adjust flour quantity as needed to maintain a soft, slightly tacky dough—too much flour yields dry bread.
- The windowpane test helps ensure proper gluten development in the dough.
- Resist extending the second rise to avoid dough overflowing the pan during baking.
- Use homemade or store-bought basil pesto depending on availability.
- Reheating bread in the oven helps restore its crispy crust and soft interior.
- For a vegan version, substitute dairy and egg ingredients with appropriate alternatives.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximate)
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
