Pesto Cheese Braid
Pesto Cheese Braid brings the warmth of fresh made bread to your home anytime of the year. The ingredients are simple, but the flavours are big. Serve this bread as an appetizer or a side to soups and pasta dishes.
Growing up with my nonna was an amazing adventure. She was a very resourceful woman who could use bread dough in a 1000 ways. The bread we made together was labour intensive; it included making the dough rise twice. I loved making it with her, but as I got older I didn’t have the time to bake from scratch when my children were small.
Pesto Cheese Braid uses my forgiving and easy dough that I use for pizza and many things. The dough comes together in a food processor and I wrap it in plastic wrap for 10 minutes and then I let it sit another ten minutes when I make the braid.
The dry ingredients go into the blender.
The yeast bubbles and we know it is ready.
This dough is soft and pliable.
After a little kneading it forms a smooth round ball.
Wrapped in plastic and with a little oil, the dough sits for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into three equal parts.
The cheese and pesto for the filling.
Stretch out the dough and then roll it out a bit.
I put the pesto down the centre.
The cheese follows. Then we pinch and fold the rectangles.
Now it’s time to braid.
All ready for the oven.
Pesto Cheese Braid
Pesto Cheese Braid brings the warmth of homemade bread to your table any time of the year.
Ingredients
The dough
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tbsp quick rise yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds extra for sprinkling
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
The filling
- 2 tbsp pesto extra for brushing
- 2 tsp olive oil divide in two
- 1 cup shredded 4 cheese Italiano
- 1/4 cup Parmesan or Roman cheese
Instructions
The Dough
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In a measuring cup put in the warm water, yeast, sugar and stir. Set aside.
Put flour,salt, fennel seeds and dried basil in a food processor. Pulse.
As soon as the yeast bubbles add it to the dry mixture and pulse on high until the dough comes away from the blade and forms a ball.
Put dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times.
Place dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Set aside for 10 minutes.
The filling
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Mix the shredded cheese and the parmesan in one bowl.
In another bowl add the pesto and 1 tbsp of olive oil and stir.
The Assembly
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After 10 minutes the dough will have puffed a bit.
Put it onto a flour surfaced and cut into 3 equal pieces.
Stretch each piece as far as you can with your hands to form long rectangles.
Use the rolling pin now to roll out.
They should be as long as the length of a large cookie sheet.
Place some pesto down the centre of each strip.
Divide the cheese equally onto the dough strips.
Pinch each strip together and then braid.
Brush each braid with some olive oil and add pesto if you like. You can also sprinkle on some extra fennel seeds.
Place on parchment paper and put into a 375 F oven for 25 to 30 minute.
Recipe Notes
If you decide to brush this braid with pesto and fennel, use 1/2 a tsp each of pesto and fennel.
Mix the pesto with 1 tbsp of olive oil and brush onto the braid and then sprinkle with the fennel seeds.
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