Pane Bianco with Tomato, Basil, and Garlic
Pane Bianco with Tomato, Basil, and Garlic is a yeast bread featuring a soft dough enriched with milk, butter, sugar, and egg, folded around a filling of sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, Italian cheese blend, and garlic powder. The bread is rolled like a log and baked to create a loaf with a flavorful, herby, and cheesy swirl inside, resulting in a tender crumb with aromatic bursts from the filling.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water warm
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ½ cup milk warmed, low-fat
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups bread flour
- 4 ounces sundried tomatoes oil-packed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ cup Italian cheese blend shredded
- ⅓ cup basil chopped, fresh
Instructions
- Place the first 8 ingredients (water through flour) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or large mixing bowl if working by hand). Mix on lowest speed (or stir with a wooden spoon) until a soft dough begins to form.
- Increase the speed slightly and knead for 5 to 7 minutes or until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Hand kneading time should be approximately the same and should produce a smooth ball of dough.
- Grease a large, clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning so that the top is greased.
- Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the dough is rising, thoroughly drain the sundried tomatoes and finely dice them. Chop the fresh basil.
- Gently deflate the dough. Roll it into a rectangle about 22” x 8.5”. Evenly distribute the garlic powder, cheese, tomatoes, and basil over the rectangle of dough.
- Starting with a long edge, roll the dough into a log as you would for making cinnamon rolls. Pinch the edge to seal.
- Place the rolled dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet with the seam side down. Using kitchen shears or a very sharp knife, start about 1 inch from an end and slice the roll about 1” deep to within 1 inch of the opposite end (see photos for help).
- Form the sliced roll into an “S” shape. Bring the two ends together under the roll and pinch them together.
- Cover and let rise again until doubled in size for 45 minutes to 1 hour. During the last part of the rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Tent the loaf with foil after 15 minutes of baking if it seems to be browning too quickly. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Allow the dough to rise until doubled in bulk rather than relying solely on timing for best texture.
- Cool bread to room temperature before slicing to let the crumb set properly.
- Do not substitute fresh tomatoes for sun-dried tomatoes to avoid excess moisture in the dough.
- Bread flour is important to develop the gluten structure needed for proper dough strength.
- Store bread in an airtight bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or freeze for up to two months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 211
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 211kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 29g | 10% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 16mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 437mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 222mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 196IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 10mg | 11% |
| Calcium | 40mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.