This crusty no knead pesto bread is easy to make and full of delicious pesto flavor. It requires no kneading and is baked in a dutch pan
No Knead Pesto Bread
Have you ever noticed when you go to an Italian restaurant that they bring you bread and pesto on the side? The idea is to dip your bread inside the pesto for a delicious bite.
This got me thinking. What if I put the pesto INSIDE the bread and bake? The result is this amazing No Knead Pesto Bread. Every bite is full of flavor. You can taste the garlic, the olive oil, and the basil. Oh, did I mention that it’s super easy to make?
Last week I brought you the basic super crusty and delicious No Knead Bread and told you that in the subsequent weeks, I was going to post a few variations. This Pesto Bread is one of them. Perfect to eat on
This Pesto Bread is one of them. Perfect to eat on its own, with some butter, or use it for sandwiches. Add some turkey slices, lettuce, and tomato in between, and go to town.
My husband came home yesterday just after I finished photo shooting the No Knead Pesto Bread. He couldn’t resist freshly baked bread and had a piece. In his exact words, “This is the best bread you have ever made”. That’s all I needed to hear, it made my day and I hope you think the same when you try it.
In his exact words, “This is the best bread you have ever made”. That’s all I needed to hear, it made my day and I hope you think the same when you try it.
My favorite food in the whole wide world is bread. I love making it and I love eating it. Homemade crusty pieces of bread were almost impossible to make until now, baking your loaf inside a Dutch oven on a high-heat oven, gives it so much crunch on the outside, with a soft center. Absolute perfection!
Homemade crusty pieces of bread were almost impossible to make until now, by baking your loaf inside a Dutch oven on a high heat oven, it gives it so much crunch on the outside, with a soft center. Absolute perfection! Here are 2 pictures of the process:
I hope you can try this delicious No Knead Pesto Bread at home. If you do, please upload a pic on Instagram and tag me @Livingsweetmoments or use the hashtag #LivingSweet. I promise to repost it.
No Knead Pesto Bread
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Bread Flour
- 1 Cup Prepared Pesto can be store bought
- 1 Teaspoon Instant Yeast
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Water at water temperature
Instructions
- In a big bowl, add the flour, yeast and salt. Using a wooden spoon add in the pesto and water. Mix until all the ingredients are combined
- Wrap plastic wrap on top of the bowl and let it proof for about 12 to 18 hours
- Place a dutch oven with lid inside the oven
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- On a floured surface, drop the dough and shape into a ball or your desired shape
- Place the dough inside the preheated dutch oven. Cover with lid
- Bake for 30 minutes
- Remove the lid and bake for 12-15 minutes more or until brown on top
Notes
Nutrition
You may also like:
Crusty Rosemary Olive Bread Recipe
No Knead Crusty Bread
I think this is a brilliant idea! I love the flavor of pesto and I would absolutely love to try this one day! I will be saving the recipe! Thank you! =D
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Thanks so much Rocio!!
I’m sure this smells heavenly as it’s baking! I love no-knead bread but I’ve never branched out beyond the classic. I can’t wait to try this!
It really does Bet! Let me know what you think!
Under the steps it lists a “cup of water at water temperature “. Do you mean room temperature? This looks delicious!
Correct Jen. Sorry for the typo
I made this the other day and everyone who tried it was *in love* with it! I used a 6-oz container of store-bought [vegan] pesto instead of a full cup, and I used one packet (~2.25 tsp) active dry yeast, not 1 tsp instant dry yeast, so my first step was to sprinkle the yeast on the water at 115 degrees F and let it sit for about 10 minutes. From there, I followed your steps exactly. The bread was really wonderful. Air pockets were tiny and the crust, especially right after I pulled it out of the oven, was especially crispy. It softened as the day progressed, though. Due to the quantity of pesto the bread was fairly fatty, but not in a bad way; it just definitely didn’t need butter. I do think that next time I’ll let the dough rise again after shaping it into a ball, because I thought I lost a lot of potential volume by throwing it right in the oven after shaping.
All in all though, truly a fantastic recipe – a keeper for sure.
Hi Tina! Glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for your tips and substitutions, it will surely help others.
Proof until doubled? The amount of hours seems extremely long.
Hi Gail, this bread technique creates a wonderful flavor and very crunchy crust. It has much less yeast than other recipes and more hydration, that’s why it needs to proof that long.
If you happen to have an instant pot with yogurt button, use that feature to cut the proofing time. Click here for more details: https://livingsweetmoments.com/crusty-instant-pot-sourdough-bread/
Hi! Do you proof the bread in the refrigerator or at room temperature?
room temperature Maple
What about shaping and then a second rise? I’ve been baking bread for a very long time, and seems this is missing a second rise. I followed exactly, but bread looks a little flat?? Smells good though.
What about shaping and then a second rise? I’ve been baking bread for a very long time, and seems this is missing a second rise. I followed the recipe exactly, but bread looks a little flat?? Smells good though.
when using instant yeast there’s no need for a second rise for this recipe