Tomato, Basil, & Garlic Filled Bread (Pane Bianco)

This tomato, basil, and garlic cheese bread, or pane bianco, is a wonderful soft, cheesy, and flavorful loaf. 

This bread, besides being pretty darn stunning, is soft, garlicky, cheesy, and tasty. It will kind of remind you of the flavors of pizza in a soft bread. 

This bread is delicious warm from the oven as well as at room temperature. It's soft and flavorful, and delicious dipped in hot tomato sauce or seasoned olive oil. 

This is the winning recipe for the 2009 (the first ever) National Festival of Breads, a contest for American amateur bread bakers. It's also featured in King Arthur Baking. 

The loaf is stuffed with sun dried tomatoes, cheese, garlic, and basil. It's rolled up, cut open on top with scissors, and then formed into an "S."

The bread itself is soft, and, if I had to find a comparison, somewhat challah like.

The dough looks like it's difficult to shape, but it's really pretty easy. 

How to shape pane bianco:

First, roll the dough out into a 22 inch by 8 inch rectangle and sprinkle it with drained sun dried tomatoes, chopped basil, and a mixture of cheeses tossed with chopped garlic. 

For the cheeses, I used a combination Gruyère, mozzarella, and provolone. I've also made the bread with just mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. You can also use a store-bought Italian blend shredded cheese. I just happened to have some small bits of provolone and Gruyère in the cheese drawer that I needed to use. 

Once you've sprinkled the filling over the dough, roll it up tightly into a long rope and lay it across a parchment lined baking sheet. Next, using kitchen shears, cut the rope lengthwise about 1 inch deep. 

Form the rope into an "S" keeping the cut side facing up. 

While it may look complicated, it's really pretty easy. 

This bread is delicious warm or at room temperature. It's great served with a pasta dinner or as a snack dipped in warm pizza sauce or olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

You can even toast it with cheese for a tasty cheese on cheese snack.

Be sure to keep an eye on the loaf when it's in the oven so that you can tent it with foil when it is golden brown, about the 25 to 30 minute mark. 

The dough is super easy to work with. It was easy to roll out into the long rectangle, and I didn't even need to flour my work surface before rolling it out. 

I first posted this recipe in April, 2013. The original recipe was for two loaves. I've revised the recipe to make one loaf and have added updated photos and a printable recipe card. 

Plus, I got to enjoy this bread again! 

This week the Sunday Funday group is featuring recipes for garlic lovers! Be sure to check out everyone's recipes featuring garlic. 

Sunday Funday Garlic Lovers' Recipes:

• Blackened Steak Caesar Salad by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp by Making Miracles
• Easy Schezwan Chutney by Cook with Renu
• Family Secret Garlic Bread by Food Lust People Love
• Garlic Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes by Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Garlic Roasted Salmon with Brussels Sprouts by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Garlicky Fregola with Edamame, Mint, and Ricotta by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Lasanachi Chutney | Maharashtrian style dry Garlic Chutney by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Red Garlic Chutney by Sneha's Recipe

More recipes featuring garlic:

• Caesar Tartlets with Garlic Butter Crusts
• Garlic and Cheese Country Bread
• Garlic Naan with Green Chiles

Tomato, Basil, & Garlic Filled Bread (Pane Bianco) Recipe

Yield: 24 servings (one loaf)

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

This tomato, basil, and garlic cheese bread, or pane bianco, is a wonderful soft, cheesy, and flavorful loaf.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 361 grams (3 cups) bread flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 8 grams (1 1/4 teaspoons) salt
• 1 large room temperature egg
• 113 grams (1/2 cup) warm water (95 to 105 degrees F)
• 113 grams (1/2 cup) warm low fat milk (95 to 105 degrees F)
• 35 grams (3 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil

For the Filling

• 113 grams (1/4 of an 8 1/2 ounce jar/3/4 cup) sun dried sun dried tomatoes, drained, set on on paper towels, and then chopped.
• 85 grams (3/4 cup) grated Italian cheese blend or grated cheeses of your choice. 
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 14 g (1/3 C) chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

Instructions

1. Add all of the dough ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium low for about seven minutes. You can also knead by hand for about 10 minutes, until you have a smooth dough.
2. Place the dough into a lightly oiled dough rising bucket or bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Line a half sheet pan with heavy duty parchment paper.
4. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it out into a 22 inch by 8 inch rectangle.
5. Toss the shredded cheese with the finely chopped garlic.
6. Sprinkle the dough with the tomatoes, cheese and garlic mixture, and basil.
7. Roll up the dough into a log, lengthwise, and seal. Place seam side down diagonally on the baking sheet.
8. Using sharp kitchen shears, starting 1/2" from one end, cut the log lengthwise down the middle about 1" deep, to within 1/2" of the other end.
9. Making sure that the cut side remains facing up, shape the loaf into an "S," tucking the ends under the dough. It should eventually look sort of like a figure 8. 
10. Lightly spray the loaf with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the lower third of the oven.
12. Allow the loaf to double in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
13. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, checking for color at about the 20 minute mark.  Tent with foil once it is fully browned.
14. Move the loaf to a cooling rack and let cool. 
15. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Calories

80.88

Fat (grams)

2.08

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.98

Carbs (grams)

11.80

Fiber (grams)

0.53

Net carbs

11.26

Sugar (grams)

0.39

Protein (grams)

3.55

Sodium (milligrams)

165.43

Cholesterol (grams)

12.51

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2013/04/tomato-basil-garlic-filled-bread.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

cheese, Pane Bianco

Bread

Italian

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