Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Swirl Bread – Recipe!

I just love to bake and bread is one of my favorite things to pull out of my kitchen oven.  Making a loaf of this Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Swirl Bread made with sun-dried tomato pesto is tasty fun and not hard to do, and I assure you — deliciousness.

A basic loaf of bread is a mixture of flour, dried yeast and some kind of liquid.  In this recipe, it’s a combination of eggs, milk and butter that make the texture lofty and easy to roll out and spread with pesto.  I chose sun-dried tomatoes because they pack a punch of tangy sweetness and come in a jar or bag, which makes them easy to use and whirl up into pesto.

The swirling process comes when you cut the rolled up dough in half and twist it around each other — not a hard technique at all.  After it’s baked it turns a deep redish-brown and when sliced, looks like a winding road through bread heaven.  I love to serve this loaf with a bit of butter for slathering, but it’s pretty darn good sliced and enjoyed with a drizzle of olive oil or just eaten warm.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour + more for dusting

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 packet rapid rise yeast, about 1/4 ounce

1/2 cup warm milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

6 tablespoon melted and cooled butter

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

8 1/2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup blanched slivered almonds

pinch of salt

olive oil for top and bowl

(Makes 1 Loaf)

To Prepare:

1. In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine flour, parmesan, salt and yeast.  Add milk, eggs and cooled butter and mix until dough begins to come together.
2. Remove from bowl and place on lightly flour dusted counter.  Knead for 3 minutes, or until almost smooth.
3. Place in a oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise for 2 hours.
4. To make pesto – add all ingredients in food processor and mix for 1 minute, or until smooth with coarse crumbs.  Set aside.
5. Remove dough from bowl and place on lightly flour dusted counter.  Roll into a 10 x 9 inch rectangle and dollop with pesto.  Smooth pesto out over surface, leaving a 1-inch border (you may have some leftover and it’s great tossed with pasta).
6. Roll up dough, starting at the short end until it form a log.  Slice log in half down middle, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter.  Braid both sides together, one over the other – pinching ends together.
7. Place in an oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and over with plastic.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
8. Brush top with olive oil and Bake for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 20 minutes.  If top gets too dark, tent with a piece of foil.
9. Remove and cool to room temperature.  Slice and Enjoy!