Got basil? Whirr it into pesto and swirl it into an elegant braid of Italian bread. You won’t believe how easily this Braided Bread with Pesto (Treccia al Pesto) comes together into a fragrant, flavorful appetizer. And as a side bread, it can spruce up an everyday meal.
The twisted braid idea comes from our son-in-law Gordy. His “crown bread” filled with tapenade and blue cheese (from Nadiya Hussain of the Great British Baking Show) blew us away. With its dark filling and gorgeous layers, it got mistaken for dessert when he took it to a party.
We simplified the bread recipe and substituted pesto because our garden basil has gone berserk. And guess what? We ended up with what turns out to be a classic Italian bread.
Treccia (braid) al Pesto makes the same kind of dramatic entrance as our traditional Anchovy Bread (Sfogliata). So we offer it as a great garden-based alternative for those who, for whatever reason, prefer to avoid anchovies. And with bright green pesto peeking out, it looks pastry-case pretty. We don’t use much cheese, and lean on the salt to bring out the flavors. The one thing we leave out: garlic. We’re not keen on it in pesto, but if you like it, hey, knock yourself out.
Try it and see for yourself—this twisty braid looks impressive but takes no special skills. You can make the dough a day ahead and assemble the braid when you have time. And, in the spirit of Italian cooking, you can customize it with your own fillings. We love the braid with pesto, but go ahead—feel free to give it your very own twist.
Thanks to Christine Discenza, Recipephany’s Italian Cultural Attaché, for the name of this bread.
Braided Bread with Pesto (Treccia al Pesto)
Dough
- ¾ cup lukewarm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Pesto
Use your favorite recipe, or blend together in a food processor and adjust to taste:
- 2 cups packed basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons Romano or Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Ground pepper to taste
Olive oil for brushing on baked braid
- Mix together water, yeast, bread flour, salt and olive oil until it comes together into a ball. Knead for about 5-10 minutes in the bowl, until it gets smooth.
- Add a little oil to the bowl, roll the dough around to coat it, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for an 1-1½ hours, or until it doubles. (If you have a proofing setting on your oven, using it can cut the time down to about an hour.) You can stop here, tightly cover and refrigerate dough for a day or two for convenience.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, sticking it on with a dab of oil.
- Lightly flour your surface and roll out dough into a rectangle about 10 x 13 inches. With the long edge facing you, spread the pesto all over the dough, right to the edges. (Freeze any leftover pesto.)
- Roll up the dough very tightly, cinnamon-roll style. The tighter the spiral, the more layers you will get. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll lengthwise to form two strands, leaving just a tiny bit of the top uncut so it stays together. It should look like an upside-down “V.” (This style of cut is common in making babka.) Keeping the cut side out so the layers are visible, twist the two strands together, one over the other. Pinch the braided end and join the two ends to make a circle.
- Place the braid on the prepared baking sheet and adjust the shape if needed. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise ½-1 hour, depending upon the warmth of the room.
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 375°.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until lightly browned and the internal temperature reads a little over 200° on an instant thermometer.
- Remove from oven and brush lightly with olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature. Freeze leftovers to preserve freshness.
