Are you looking for a showstopping savory loaf? Our pesto babka is surprisingly simple to shape, has a soft crumb and flavorful pesto filling. Both you and your dinner guests will love this delightful bread!
Craving other homemade breads? Check out these other Italian-inspired breads: pane bianco and tomato basil bread.
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Ingredients
Curious what ingredients you'll need to make a pesto babka? Let's talk about the most important ones.
- Bread Flour: this type of flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose, which will give the bread a higher rise and fluffier, chewier texture.
- Yeast: I like to use fast-action (aka instant) since it allows you to skip the 10-minute blooming in warm water and sugar that active dry requires. Feel free to use either type, though.
- Pesto: Use any good basil pesto that you like. Make sure to drain off all the oil and to press out any excess in a metal sieve to reduce the moisture.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Filling: Try sun dried tomato pesto, grated cheese, roasted garlic, olives, or other Italian-inspired fillings.
- Dough: Incorporate pesto into the dough itself, or mix in sun dried tomatoes or olives for extra flavor.
- Kosher: Use water instead of milk, olive oil instead of butter, and a homemade kosher pesto.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for the pesto babka.
- Pour the flour into a mixing bowl, then stir in the salt and yeast on opposite sides.
- Mix in the sugar and the wet ingredients to form a dough. Knead until the dough passes the windowpane test (see recipe card below for instructions).
3. Prove the dough until it has at least doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Drain the excess oil from the pesto. Punch down the dough and roll it out into a rectangle measuring 9x20 inches. Spread the pesto on top, then roll it into a log from one of the short sides.
5. Pinch the seam and ends to seal, and split the log in half lengthwise. Twist the two pieces together with the pesto filling side facing up.
6. Place the twisted babka inside of a loaf pan and prove until the dough is springy to the touch, about 30-45 minutes.
7. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then at 375°F for 25-30 minutes, or until it has an internal temperature of 190°F. Be sure to check the bread after 10 minutes to cover it with foil.
8. Let the babka cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove it and let it cool completely for 1 hour on a wire rack. Slice and serve this wonderful bread with salted butter and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Babka is an Eastern European word meaning little grandmother, and can refer to a yeast-leavened cake baked in a bundt pan, or a swirled bread like the one in this recipe. Most babkas are sweet, but I wanted to try something savory to use up some leftover pesto. The pesto brings an outstanding flavor to the bread; you'll enjoy eating all the browned bits of herbs on the outside of the bread.
A sweet chocolate babka tastes rich, buttery, and chocolatey with a soft, fluffy texture. This pesto babka retains the wonderful texture and buttery flavor of a traditional sweet babka, but with the savory flavor of basil pesto instead of chocolate.
Although the shaping looks tricky, it's really not any harder than making cinnamon rolls. Roll out the dough to a long rectangle, spread on the pesto, and roll it up tightly from a short end. Make sure to seal all the seams once it's rolled up to prevent the pesto from leaking out too easily. Then, split the log in half lengthwise and simply twist the two strands together, keeping the filling facing up as you twist.
It can be kept on the counter sealed in a plastic bag for up to 3 days, but will taste the freshest the same day it's baked. For the best flavor, I recommend pre-slicing the babka and freezing it in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 1 month. Simply defrost slices as desired.
Substitute all the dairy products in this recipe, and you'll be making a kosher version. (Make sure your pesto is kosher, too; you can't use one that has cheese in it.) Use water instead of milk, and olive oil instead of the butter.
Sweet babkas are usually served at breakfast or with coffee, but you can enjoy this savory pesto babka in different ways. Enjoy it spread with butter and served alongside a bowl of soup, toast it, or make into grilled cheese sandwiches.
Serve
If you're looking for other tasty breads, you'll want to try our recipes for Mexican bolillos and whole wheat molasses bread.
Expert Tips
- Use bread flour, not all-purpose. You will not get the best rise or texture from all-purpose.
- Use fast-action yeast so you can skip the 10-minute blooming in warm water and sugar necessary for active dry yeast.
- Knead thoroughly. This is one of the most fool-proof ways you can ensure a good textured bread.
- Drain the oil from the pesto. Otherwise, the dough will be super greasy and slippery.
- Cool completely before slicing. This allows the loaf to finish cooking through.
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Recipe
How to Make Pesto Babka
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 cups bread flour
- 3 teaspoons fast-action yeast
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 3 tablespoons caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup basil pesto, with extra oil removed
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Equipment
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the milk and heat it gently to about 115°F.
- Pour the bread flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, then stir in each one with your finger. Blend in the sugar.
- Dump in the egg and half of the warm milk and butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough begins to come together, then trickle in the remaining milk as needed to create a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Switch attachments to the dough hook and knead for 3 minutes on medium-low speed. The dough should be soft and smooth with a glossy sheen. Use the windowpane test to see if the dough is kneaded enough by breaking off a lump of dough and gently stretching it. The dough should stretch thin enough until it's translucent without tearing; if not, knead for a minute longer and check again.
- Shape the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place to prove until at least doubled in size, about 1 ½ hour.
Shaping the Babka
- While the dough is proving, measure out the pesto. Drain off any excess oil, then pour the pesto into a mesh sieve and push out as much oil as you can with the back of a spoon. You should have ¾ cup (188g) of drained and squeezed pesto.
- Turn out the proved dough onto a lightly floured surface and punch it down all over to knock out gas pockets. Roll it out to a rectangle 9 inches wide and at least 20 inches long, lifting the dough occasionally to relax the gluten. If the dough is shrinking back a lot when you roll it out, let the dough rest for a few minutes, then try again.
- Spread the pesto evenly over the bread, getting within an inch of the edge, then roll up the bread tightly from a short end. Pinch all the seams and ends to seal.
- Slice the log of dough in half lengthwise, then twist the two lengths together, keeping the filling side up as you twist.
- Place the babka in the loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to prove until the dough has crowned about an inch over the top of the pan and springs back quickly when gently prodded with a fingertip, about 45 minutes.
- About 20 minutes before the babka is done proving, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Baking
- Sprinkle the babka with the coarse salt, then bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Check the loaf after 5-10 minutes and cover it with aluminum foil if it's getting too dark. Lower the temperature to 375°F and bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the center of the loaf has an internal temperature of 190°F on a digital thermometer.
- Let the babka cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving, about 1 hour.
Notes
- Only use bread flour, not all-purpose, for this recipe. You won't have the same rise or texture with all-purpose.
- Drain the oil from the pesto. Otherwise, the dough will be super greasy and slippery.
- Cool completely before slicing. This allows the loaf to finish cooking through.
- Store leftover babka on the counter in an airtight container or zip-top bag, or freeze for up to 1 month. Keeping it in the fridge will make it go stale much more quickly.
- Leftover sliced pesto babka makes fantastic grilled cheese sandwiches!
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Our pesto babka recipe post was originally published on March 29, 2018 and was republished on August 13, 2021 with updated photos and refreshed content.
Elaine
Your Recipe looks fantastic, could you please tell me what size loaf pan you used?
Emma
I'm happy to hear that, Elaine! I have a link to the 9x5-inch loaf pan similar to the one that I used in the recipe instructions.
Alex
The basil pesto makes this bread taste light and flavorful. The texture is light and airy. The chunky salt on top is lovely, and the braiding is beautiful.
Emma
Thank you, Alex! I'm glad that you enjoyed this bread so much!
Connie
I loved this recipe! I used active dry yeast and activated it in a little warm sugar water before adding it to the dough mixture. I also used store-bought pesto and let the babka rise overnight in the fridge for the second rising. I under baked it by just a hair, and the center was just a tiny bit doughy. I am definitely saving this recipe to try again, though! Absolutely delicious flavor!
Emma
That's wonderful to hear, Connie! I'm absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the babka so much. A foolproof method to check if your bread is done is to insert a meat thermometer and to make sure it has an internal temperature of 190 F for soft, enriched breads like this one. Crusty loaves can be baked to 200 F.
Carrie
Thanks for this delicious babka recipe! I added cheese on top of the pesto. The babka came out great with a perfect swirl.
Emma
So glad that you enjoyed the babka, Carrie! Thank you for leaving a review!
Beth
The bread is very interesting in that it is swirled, with the pesto showing in layers. This bread tastes wonderful and is perfect for eating by the slice. It's chewy and a bit salty. The loaf is very majestic and is a delightful braided treat.
Emma
I agree, Beth! It's fun to make a swirled bread, but even more fun to eat it!