Braided bread recipe with pesto and cheese filling is an easy bread recipe you can make at home. Tear big chunks of this super delicious pesto braided bread and dunk in your favorite soup for that comforting dinner. Here is how you can make perfect braided bread at home with step by step photos.
What Is Braided Bread?
Braided bread is a kind of traditional bread with braided pattern. You can use any bread dough and make braided bread. The popular ones are challah, cheese wreath, braided garlic bread etc.
Here in this recipe I made braids with a basic bread dough. I also have used cheese and homemade pesto filling. It is a sheer joy to tear large chunks of this still warm golden bread and dunk in a thick soup for dinner.
I made this delicious pesto braided bread twice in the same week as we could not get enough of it. It is delicious with any soup but tastes best with spicy tomato soup.
How To Make Braided Bread With Filling?
To make braided bread you can use any of your preferred bread dough recipe. I have used my go to whole wheat bread dough here. This recipe is all about shaping the bread so you can use even pizza dough here.
Prepare the dough and proof it once. Roll the dough into a thick circle and spread pesto all over. Sprinkle cheese all over. Now roll the dough tightly and score from the top keeping the tip intact. Braid the bread and secure the end. Leave for second proofing and bake in the hot oven until done.
Once done, brush some butter.
Serve braided bread warm with tomato soup
You can check the recipes of cilantro pesto and basil pesto for this bread recipe.
Variations With Braided Bread Recipe
You can make braided bread in many flavors and shapes. Here are few ideas.
After braiding, you can make a circle by joining both the ends and form the bread like wreath.
Instead of pesto you can use pizza sauce and make pizza braided bread
For making sweet braids you can use any flavored jam or fruit compote as filling.
To make chocolate challah use nutella or any other chocolate spread
For more bread recipes you may check
How To Make Braided Bread Recipe
Combine whole wheat flour, instant dry yeast, salt, sugar and oil in a bowl.
Add water as required and knead to a soft dough. Knead the dough well for 5-7 minutes.
Cover well and let the dough raise for 90 minutes.
Once the dough is doubled in volume, slightly punch in back and knead for a minute.
Now roll the dough into a thick circle.
Spread pesto all over and sprinkle grated cheese.
Roll the dough tightly and make a log. Transfer to a greased baking tray.
Now keeping the one tip intact,score the log with a sharp knife and braid as shown in the picture.
Brush the braid with olive oil. Let the dough proof for 30 minutes again.
In the mean time preheat the oven to 200 C. Place the tray in hot oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.
Let the bread warm for 10 minutes before serving. Serve as big chunks with tomato soup.
Braided Bread Recipe
BRAIDED BREAD RECIPE
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup cilantro or basil pesto
- 3/4 cup grated cheese
- butter for brushing the baked bread
Instructions
- Combine whole wheat flour, instant dry yeast, salt, sugar and oil in a bowl.
- Add water as required and knead to a soft dough. Knead the dough well for 5-7 minutes.
- Cover well and let the dough raise for 90 minutes
- Once the dough is doubled in volume, slightly punch in back and knead for a minute.
- Now roll the dough into a thick circle.
- Spread pesto all over and sprinkle grated cheese.
- Roll the dough tightly and make a log. Transfer to a greased baking tray.
- Now keeping the one tip intact,score the log with a sharp knife and braid as shown in the picture.
- Brush the braid with olive oil. Let the dough proof for 30 minutes again.
- In the mean time preheat the oven to 200 C. Place the tray in hot oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Let the bread warm for 10 minutes before serving. Serve as big chunks with tomato soup.
Nutrition
Mahalakshmi says
Wow looks so elegant and yummy. Like a high end cafe