This beautiful Italian Pane Bianco is a soft white loaf filled with sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, shredded cheese, and garlic.
This lovely Pane Bianco (Italian for "white bread") is a soft bread filled with sundried tomatoes, cheese, fresh basil, and garlic which is shaped into a figure 8. And even though it looks a little complicated, it's really easy as pie.
This recipe came from a bread baking group I used to be part of along with several other food bloggers. We'd set a theme for each month and bake something related.
One month the theme was Italian Breads. Although there are loads of beautiful, traditional Italian breads, I've always wanted to try my hand at a shaped loaf. Something like a braided or knotted bread.
I knew I'd found exactly the recipe I wanted to make when I was looking around on the King Arthur Flour web site, my number one resource for all things related to baking.
I posted a photo of the finished loaf of Pane Bianco on Instagram right after it came out of the oven and it got more "likes" than any photo I've ever posted. Not only is it visually stunning, it's really delicious and it makes your house smell wonderful while it's baking!
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How to Make Pane Bianco
Mix the Dough
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.
First Rise
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.
Roll and Fill the Dough
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 do 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.
Shaping the Pane Bianco
Form the sliced roll into an “S” shape. Bring the two ends together under the roll and pinch them together.
Second Rise
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 the Loaf
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.
What Makes this Bread Italian?
You may be wondering what, other than the filling ingredients, makes this bread "Italian." Well, Italian breads typically contain both milk and olive oil, sometimes a tiny bit of sugar, which gives the dough a somewhat richer quality. They're also usually shorter and plumper than the French breads.
Storing Homemade Bread
Store your bread in an airtight plastic bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. This bread can also be frozen if wrapped properly (wrap with a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil on the outside) and kept for about 2 months in the freezer.
What to Serve With This
This bread is absolutely delicious with an olive oil dip! And, of course, it's great with any pasta meal. Pair it with my Baked Spaghetti, Egg Noodle Lasagna, or Jumbo Meatballs and you'll have a dinner time feast.
More Bread Recipes on Never Enough Thyme
Italian Bread Recipes from Other Bloggers
- Calzone from A Baker's House
- Italian Easter Cheese Bread from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
- Pane di Genzano from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Rosemary Red Onion Beer Bread from Shockingly Delicious
- Pane di Pasqua (Italian Easter Bread) from Savoring Italy
- Tuscan Lemon Quick Bread with Limoncello Glaze from Rhubarb and Honey
- Pane Toscano (Tuscan Bread) from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
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📖 Recipe
Pane Bianco with Tomato, Basil, and Garlic
Ingredients
- ¼ cup warm water
- 2 tblsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. instant yeast (1 package)
- ½ cup low-fat milk warmed
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 cups bread flour
- 4 oz. oil-packed sundried tomatoes
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ cup shredded Italian cheese blend
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
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
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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Lori
My husband loved this bread. I felt it was not very airy. But this is the first bread I have made. Would you suggest I need to knead it more or let it prove longer?
Thanks
Lana Stuart
Hi Lori - yes, most Italian breads are a bit dense as is this bread. It's because of the milk and olive oil in the dough. Additional kneading and proofing would still not make this an "airy" loaf. If you're looking for a lighter loaf, try a standard white bread recipe. The King Arthur Flour web site is a great resource for all sorts of bread recipes.