Pesto Brioche Swirl Bread
This pesto brioche swirl bread is soft, fluffy, buttery, and savory, making it the perfect carb sponge to sop up a saucy pasta dish! Make the dough the night before and bake it off the next day, just in time for Italian night.
Ingredients
- 113 g (½ cup) whole milk, warmed to 110 degrees F
- 20 g (1 ½ tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 85 g (6 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 113 g (½ cup) basil pesto
- egg wash, 1 egg + 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a glass measuring cup, heat the milk to 110 degrees F and stir in the sugar and yeast. Allow to sit for 15 minutes for the yeast to activate.
- Mix the eggs into the milk yeast mixture.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour and salt together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and mix on low-medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until it forms a ball around the hook.
- Add in a few pieces of butter at a time, allowing them to fully incorporate before adding more.
- Once all of the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and mix for 8-12 minutes. To check if the dough is ready, tear off a small piece and carefully spread it out to see if you can see the light through it without it tearing. If it tears, mix for another minute or two and check again.
- Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to proof overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, you can let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- When ready to bake the bread, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to rough rectangle about ¼" in thickness. Spread the pesto on in an even layer, then roll it up from the long side. Cut the log down the middle, turn the inside layers upwards, and cross them over each other into a braid. Curl the ends into the middle, creating an S-shape.
- Transfer the shaped bread to the prepared baking sheet, then cover and allow to proof for about 20-30 minutes until the dough springs back slowly when pressed with a finger.
- Brush the dough with an egg wash, then bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and no longer doughy in the center. Tent the bread with aluminum foil around the 20 minute mark to prevent it from browning too much. Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting.
Notes
- Proof the dough overnight: I recommend allowing your brioche dough to rise slowly overnight in the fridge. Cold dough is so much nicer to work with! But you can also let it proof at room temperature for one hour and make the brioche bread immediately.
- Bake the dough within 24 hours: To find that sweet spot between properly proofed with a developed flavor and over-fermented, I recommend giving the dough at least 5 hours to rise in the fridge, but no more than 24 hours.
- Brush the dough with an egg wash: To give the brioche loaf a deep golden, shiny crust, brush the dough with an egg wash made from one egg mixed with two tablespoons of water.
- Tent with aluminum foil: Tent the bread with aluminum foil around the 20 minute mark to prevent it from browning too much.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 301mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 633IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg
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