Braided Italian bread
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 25 min. preparation time, 45 min. baking time
Nutrition: Calories ca 188 / Protein 5g / Carbohydr. 15g / Fat 12g
Ingredients (10 servings)
| 3.5 tsp | yeast (active dry) |
| 0.5 tsp | sugar |
| 160 ml | water |
| 300 g | flour (all-purpose) |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| 30 ml | vegetable oil |
| 180 g | olives |
| 200 g | sun-dried tomatoes (preserved in oil) |
| 100 g | pine nuts |
Utensils
baking sheet, standing mixer or hand held mixer with dough hooks, food processor, oven, measuring cup, parchment paper, cutting board, knife, rolling pin
Wine Tip
Soave
Soave is a characteristically dry, light-bodied white wine from the Veneto in Italy. The bouquet is redolent of melon and the mouthfeel is mildly creamy with a subtle sea salt flavor. It pairs wonderfully with the sun-dried tomato and olive in the bread.
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. In a measuring cup, dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm water. Then, add to a standing mixer with flour, salt, and vegetable oil. Beat until a smooth, uniform dough forms. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for approx. 60 min.
standing mixer or hand held mixer with dough hooks, oven, measuring cup
3.5 tsp yeast / 0.5 tsp sugar / 160 ml water / 300 g flour / 1 tsp salt / 30 ml vegetable oil
Step 2
Roughly chop olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
cutting board, knife
180 g olives / 200 g sun-dried tomatoes
Step 3
In a food processor, pulse sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts into a smooth paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
food processor
100 g pine nuts / salt / pepper
Step 4
On a lightly floured work surface, flatten out dough with a rolling pin into a large rectangle. Evenly spread sun dried tomato paste over dough and sprinkle olives on top. Then, roll dough from side to side to form a long log.
rolling pin
flour for work surface
Step 5
Transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut dough log in half lengthwise and then braid into a loaf. Transfer to preheated oven and bake at 180°C/350°F for approx. 35 – 45 min. Remove from oven and allow to cool or enjoy warm right away!
baking sheet, parchment paper
