Pane Bianco with Red Peppers, Garlic, and Basil is a real showstopper of a loaf. If you want to impress but not stress, make this bread ASAP!
In case you're wondering what the translation for Pane Bianco is, I did Google translate to find out...and guess what? It means "White Bread"! LOL, I thought it would be something a bit more exotic but, oh well, at least it looks exotic!!!
The original recipe comes from the King Arthur Flour website and was the winning recipe for their first-ever National Festival of Breads. Now that's MY kind of festival!!!
PANE BIANCO FILLED WITH RED PEPPER, BASIL, AND GARLIC {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
Makes 2 loaves.
(I adapted this slightly from the original winning recipe)
½ cup warm water (plus more warm water if needed)
1 cup of warm milk
4 teaspoons of instant yeast
¼ cup sugar
â…“ cup olive oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 jar (8 ounces) of roasted red peppers, drained and dried on paper towels.
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
â…” cup chopped fresh basil
-In a large bowl, add the yeast to the warm water and milk.
-Stir to dissolve the yeast completely.
-Whisk in the sugar, olive oil, and eggs.
-In a stand mixer, add the flour and salt.
-Using the dough hook, knead in the yeast mixture until it's completely blended and the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
-Continue kneading for about 5-7 minutes (adding a tablespoon of warm water at a time if the dough is too stiff and it seems like the mixer is straining too much). The dough should form a smooth ball.
-Place the dough in a greased bowl and spray the top with olive oil.
-Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour.
-Once risen, punch the dough down and divide it into two pieces. Cover and set aside.
-Meanwhile, chop the drained and dried red peppers and chop the basil.
-Working with one piece of dough at a time, using a rolling pin roll the dough into roughly a 22" x 8" rectangle.
-Sprinkle on half of the red peppers, half of the basil, half of the garlic, and half of the Parmesan cheese.
-Starting with the long edge, roll the dough the long way into a log, making sure to roll firmly but not too tight.
-Place the log, and seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
-Using kitchen shears, cut the log lengthwise down the center about 1" deep and leave ½" borders on each end.
-Keeping the cut side up, form a modified "S" shape, and tuck the ends under, pinching to seal.
-Continue the same procedure with the second piece of dough and the remaining, garlic, pepper, basil, and cheese.
-Cover the loaves and allow them to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (approximately 1 hour).
-Once risen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake them for 40 minutes.
-Remove the loaves from the oven and cover them both loosely with foil so they don't burn and return them to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes until cooked through and they sound hollow when tapped.
-Allow the loaves to cool thoroughly on baking racks and slice to serve.
YUM!!!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
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Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
Renee Goerger says
HAHaHa! Too funny! Thanks for noticing, but more than anything, thanks for taking time to comment (and Re-comment)!
Elizabeth says
Oh wait!! THAT'S how your tomatoes are so red! They're peppers! Duh.... 😀
Elizabeth says
I'm so envious of the beautiful red on your tomatoes! Your bread is beautiful. It's so wonderful that you found us. Many thanks for baking with us.
Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez says
Your loaves turned out beautifully, Renee! So happy that you joined us this month...looking forward to May 🙂
Renee Goerger says
Thank you Heather. I'm thrilled to be a buddy. I froze the second loaf and we'll be having it with dinner tonight. Can't wait!