A beautiful, braided yeast bread filled with pesto.The braiding creates thin layers with lots of edges that crisp up and get golden brown in the oven. It looks complicated but each step is easy and the results are well worth the extra effort.
Did you know October 16 is World Bread Day? Every year since 2006, hundreds of bloggers from all around the world bake bread for this special day. This year I’ve joined with the Bread Baking Babes and Buddies to make a Russian Braid. Mine is filled with a basil pesto but many BBB made sweet versions as well.
There’s a great video of Chef Ciril Hitz making a sweet version of the bread and showing you step by step how to create this gorgeous bread. The yeast dough is rolled out into a rectangle, spread with pesto, rolled up, sliced in half, and then braided to create an elegant rose shaped bread.
I adapted the recipe to use instant yeast in a Kitchen Aid mixer. The BBB recipe includes vinegar, which is added to help the dough rise better and create a crunchy crust. All the cut edges combine with the olive oil in the pesto make the crust on this bread extraordinary.
I used half an 8 oz jar of pesto, use less if you want a more subtle pesto flavor. We all loved this bread, but my 1 year old grandson especially loved it. He gobbled it up as fast as we could tear it up for him and kept asking for more. I think it’s best eaten the day it’s baked while the crust is so crispy and delicious.
Ingredients
Russian Braid Bread
- Ingredients:
- 3 - 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup pesto
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
- Heat water and canola oil until warm (120° – 130°F). Add to flour mixture. Add vinegar. Blend at low speed until well combined.
- Switch to the dough hook and mix in the remaining flour a little at a time, to make a soft dough that’s not sticky to the touch, adding more or less flour as needed. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover; let rise in warm place until almost double.
- Preheat oven to 400º F. Grease a 9? springform pan, and line bottom with parchment; grease paper. Place on top of a baking sheet. Set aside.
- Punch down the dough. On a floured surface, roll the dough into very thin rectangle, as thin as you can (mine was 20” x 24”). Spread a thin layer of pesto on top of the dough (leave the bottom edge clear 1/2"). Start at the long edge and slowly, tightly and gently roll the dough into a log.
- Use a bench scraper to cut the dough in half lengthwise. Cross the two halves (layers facing up) to create an X shape; braid top and bottom of dough by laying the left piece over the right keeping the cut side up, until pieces of dough are tightly twisted. Pinch ends together.
- Start at the thinner edge and slowly and very gently, roll the braid into a giant snail shell or a very large cinnamon bun. Be careful to keep all the layers facing up. Pinch the end delicately.
- Carefully pick up the braid and place in the prepared springform. Cover; let rise in warm place until almost double.
- Bake at 400º for 5-10 minutes, lower oven temperature to 350º and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes. When the bread is out of the oven lightly brush olive oil on top and sides. Let cool on a rack.
 |
 |
Visit World Bread Day to see all the beautiful breads bakers around the world baked for World Bread Day 2012.
Some of the links in my posts may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting Barbara Bakes when you shop!
I love to bake, especially cookies, cakes, and pies. I’ll post my adventures in the kitchen, my favorite new recipes, as well as our family favorites.
This is a true work of art Barbara! It’s definitely cookbook cover worthy (to me at least). I must try and make it. I doubt however that mine would look as good as yours does. That’s ok with me, as long as it tastes good, I’ll be thrilled. I’m printing your recipe now.
Thanks Renee! I’m sure yours will be beautiful!
I didn’t know it was bread day!! Of course you would be on top of things with something amazing. DELICIOUS!
This is so gorgeous! I am just stunned. The few times I’ve worked with braided bread, it didn’t turn out quite this beautiful. I’m loving that it’s savory…
Did you laugh when you watched the video and could see how easy it was to do?
I just need to have more mouths to bake for.
Gadfry I’ve got at least 10 iterations for fillings racing in my brain for this one
And Barbara, your loaf is gorgeous.
Your pesto braid looks beautiful! I might use your cinnamon swirl brioche recipe to try a sweet version of this “Russian Rose”.
I can’t get over how gorgeous this is! I have pesto in my freezer to use up, and I think I need to give this a try!
WOW Barbara! This is absolutely stunning. I guess I need to bake some bread today.
World Bread Day? who knew? Your savory braid and gorgeous photos are reason enough to celebrate bread baking everywhere.
What a beautiful bread, Barbara! I used to bake years and years ago, but have gotten out of the habit. This just might be the inspiration I need to go buy a few packets of yeast
This loaf is so stunning! Beautiful job!! Somehow I missed the World Bread Day…and now I am really sad that I did!
This loaf is just beautiful Barbara. I made pesto rolls awhile back with the ABinFive group. Yours is so much more elegant. I’m going to have to try this one and use up some of my homemade pesto.
That looks so amazing. I got a jar of regular yeast opened. To use that, would I just let it rise longer? I have this yeast as I started last year making french bread using the Artisian French bread book and I make a bucket of dough and take out hand fulls when I need it. This one you made is art and my hubby loves pesto.
Thanks Winnie! I love making Artisian bread in a bucket too. Traditionally with regular active dry yeast you dissolve the yeast in warm water and a bit of sugar to activate it until it foams and then add it to the flour with the remainder of the liquids. Your liquids should only be 110 – 115º. Although if your yeast is fresh, you can probably just use it the same as you would instant yeast. Have fun! Let me know how it goes.
This loaf recipe sounds amazing! =)
C’est superbe et appétissant, je casserais bien la croûte accompagné d’un bon verre de vin
Bonne nuit
Valérie
Like the caption on the pin I just added to my bread board, this looks gorgeous AND scrumptious! I love bread and pesto so the two would be heavenly together.
this looks amazing Barbara! Miss you xoxoxo
This is beautiful! Lovely recipe
How beautiful Barbara!
How did I not know that it was world bread day?!?
It was my parents 30th wedding anniversary yesterday so that might have over-shadowed it but I’ll remember next year for sure.
I’m in awe of that bread.
Wow this is incredibly beautiful and sounds delicious!
Oh my goodness, forget the dinner I’ll just have some of your bread! Barbara, that is quite an irresistible braided bread!
This braid takes the price Barbara! Gorgeous and I bet it tastes amazing with pesto! I made Ciril Hitz russian bread with an orange filling a few times but never in such a nice round shape.
Absolutely gorgeous Barbara! I need a slice of this.
gorgeous Russian braid for World Bread Day, Barbara. I have to try this recipe-love it:)
Whoa. Now that is pretty bread. I’ve never made such a thing but now I’m convinced I DO need to make it. Soup anyone?!
This is amazingly beautiful.
I absolutely love this idea, Barbara–it’s rare that I go into a post with it bookmarked before I take a look at the recipe, but this is some absolutely gorgeous work. Thank you so much for sharing, I can’t wait to try making this with homemade pesto!
Beautifully baked! Love the pesto filling in the bread.
So elegant! It would be wonderful for a party…
—Barbara,
that is probaby the most beautiful looking braided bread I’ve ever seen. WOWw….Now only if I could TASTE it. Xx
I think I’d even use it as a center piece
)
This is absolutely gorgeous, Barbara!!
the pattern is so cool, what a beautiful bread! pesto is such a great spread for so many things.
Barbara, this is one of the most wonderful and delicious bread I’ve ever made and eaten.
Like you, I’ve chosen a savory version; like you I’ve chosen Pesto (and Parmesan).
You made such a beautiful twist and I love your step-by-step guide.
See you next month ♥
Your twisted “rope” looks perfect as does the bread. I’ve made a twisted loaf with pesto filling and its my to-go savoury filling.
Wow, what a beautiful bread! I bet the pesto makes it taste amazing!
Your rose looks absolutely perfect. I love the colour that it became with baking. When I first looked at it, I thought you had filled it with chocolate. (Ha! Suddenly I want to bake the bread again and use chocolate as the filling!)
the braids look absolutely gorgeous, Barbara. I will keep this in mind for my fussy 2-yr old, maybe she will love it too.
Oh my, bread with pesto spread sounds just perfect for me. I am a total big fan of pesto. I bet this bread smell awesome. Btw, I have missed out this year WBD event. I thought it was on November. Darn! I have waited for so long for this event to come. Well, there always next time…so waiting for the next event 2013.
) Enjoy & have a great week ahead, Barbara.
Kristy
Another beautiful Russian Rose! Love the savory filling! Thank you for baking for Word Bread Day . Hope you will join us next year again!
Could you add cheese? Would it still bake as such? This is beautiful!
Thanks Stephanie! I think you could add some Parmesan cheese to the filling, or a good melting cheese on top the last ten minutes of baking.
Hello Barbara ,
This was a project I did not think I could achieve. I had read some other websites but they did not give precise direction as you have, including the step by step pictures. I was able to bake my russian rose with pesto last night. It came out beautiful and tasted great. Thank you so much for sharing.
What a sweet comment! I’m so glad your bread tasted great and turned out beautifully, and that I could help. Thank you!