The amazing aroma from this pane bianco will get you hungry. Just imagine the golden-brown cheddar cheese, roasted red peppers, garlic, and fresh basil--baking doesn't get much better than this.
If you love pane bianco, you'll definitely enjoy this pesto babka and this Greek olive bread.
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Ingredients
Fortunately, the base of pane bianco is a simple white bread that doesn't take any fancy ingredients. The usual filling also consists of easy-to-find ingredients, but you can always swap for something else if you need to.
- Bread Flour: This type of flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose, making the bread rise higher and have a fluffy, chewy texture.
- Yeast: I like to use fast-action (aka instant) yeast, but you can also use active dry. Make sure to bloom it in warm water and sugar until it's foamy, about 10 minutes, before using.
- Filling: Extra sharp cheddar cheese, roasted red peppers, chopped basil, roasted garlic, and olive oil. The roasted garlic and extra sharp cheddar bring lots of flavor, with the roasted red peppers and basil providing a striking color contrast. See the "Variations" part of this post for additional ideas on fillings.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for the pane bianco. You can prep the ingredients for the filling later when the dough is proving.
- Mix the milk and water together and pour into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the mixture reaches 115°F.
- Pour the flour into a mixing bowl and mix in the salt and yeast on opposite sides. This ensures that the salt doesn't directly touch the yeast, as it can kill it.
3. Mix in the sugar, oil, and eggs until blended, then gradually add the warm milk and water mixture and mix on low speed to form a slightly sticky dough. You may need an extra splash of water or two depending upon the brand of flour and the humidity.
4. Knead with the hook on medium-low speed until it passes the windowpane test, about 4-5 minutes. (See the recipe card for a description of this technique.)
5. Shape the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
6. Let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
7. Punch down the dough and roll it into a rectangle measuring about 9x24 inches. Brush with the olive oil, then sprinkle with grated cheese, basil, garlic, and red peppers. Roll into a log from one of the long sides, then pinch the seam and ends to seal.
8. Cut the log in half lengthwise, then turn both lengths so the filling side is facing upwards. Transfer the lengths to a parchment-lined tray and form them into a figure eight shape.
9. Cover the pane bianco and let it rise until it's springy to the touch, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, until it has an internal temperature of 190°F.
10. Let the pane bianco cool completely on a wire rack, then slice and serve.
Recipe FAQs
It's a white Italian bread stuffed with cheese, red peppers or roasted tomatoes, basil, and garlic. The dough is rolled up, cut, and swirled into a figure eight shape. Pane bianco tastes similar to pizza, but can be sliced and enjoyed similar to a sandwich bread.
This Italian phrase translated into English means "white bread," but can also be a person's last name when spelled as one word.
It's pronounced PAW-nay bee-AWN-coh. Hear an audio pronunciation if you prefer.
Homemade bread always tastes better fresh, so I'd recommend eating the pane bianco within 24 hours of baking. Be sure to store it at room temperature in a zip-top bag. For longer storage, freeze according to the directions below.
I'm not sure when this recipe was first created, but it seems to be first published online by King Arthur Baking in 2016 as their first bake-along recipe. Many people have put their own twist on pane bianco and re-shared it on their food blogs.
Store
Leftovers: Keep them sealed tightly at room temperature. Eat within 24 hours of baking for the best freshness.
Freezing: Pre-slice for ease, seal inside of a zip-top freezer bag, and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost pane bianco in the toaster, under the broiler, at room temperature, or in the microwave.
Variations
Pane bianco is a very flexible recipe, so feel free to change up the filling as desired.
- Cheese: sharp cheddar, Asiago, Romano, Parmesan, Gruyere
- Fresh Herbs: oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil
- Aromatics: sauteed onions, caramelized onions, roasted garlic
- Veggies: peperoncinis, red peppers, pickles, chipotle peppers, sun dried or roasted tomatoes
- Meat: although it doesn't typically contain meat, feel free to try pepperoni, bacon, or crumbled Italian sausage, or thin slices of various Italian meats like soppressata, capocollo, or mortadella.
Expert Tips
- Use bread flour, not all-purpose. AP lacks the protein content necessary to produce a high-rising, chewy pane bianco.
- Knead thoroughly. The dough must pass the windowpane test (see recipe card for details) before proving.
- Drain fillings well. Too much liquid will make the dough mushy and difficult to shape.
- Don't overstuff. Otherwise, the filling will leak out and burn.
- Use a thermometer to check if the pane bianco is done. It should be 190°F in the center.
Other Homemade Breads to Try
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Recipe
Pane Bianco Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 4 ⅛ cups bread flour
- 3 teaspoons fast-action yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- scant ½ cup whole milk
- scant ½ cup water
For the Filling
- 1 ¼ cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- ⅔ cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 5 teaspoons roasted garlic, minced (6-7 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Heat the milk and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture reaches 115°F.
- Pour the bread flour into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, stirring each one in with your finger. Make sure the salt doesn't touch the yeast directly, since it can kill the yeast.
- Add the sugar, olive oil, and eggs to the flour, then mix on low speed with the paddle attachment. Gradually trickle in the milk and water mixture until a sticky dough has formed. You may need to add extra water depending upon the humidity and the brand of flour you're using.
- Change the attachment to the hook and knead on medium-low speed for a few minutes. Use the windowpane test to see if the dough is kneaded enough. Break off a lump and carefully stretch it as thin as you can. If it can stretch until it's translucent in places without tearing, it's kneaded enough; if not, then knead for a minute longer and check again.
- Shape into a ball, place in a oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside to prove at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Alternatively, place in the fridge to prove overnight.
- Grate the cheese and roughly chop the basil leaves. Peel the garlic, toss in olive oil, raise the oven rack so it's in the upper third of the oven, and roast under the broiler on high for 7 minutes, stirring halfway through. Drain and chop the roasted red peppers, then place them in a sieve set over a bowl to catch any excess liquid.
Shaping
- Line an 11x17-inch baking tray with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has finished its first prove, turn it out onto a floured surface and punch it down all over to knock out the gas pockets.
- Roll the dough into a 9x24-inch rectangle.
- Brush with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the cheese, basil, and garlic evenly. Squeeze the roasted peppers with the back of a spoon to drain any remaining liquid, then spread them over the dough. Having a wet filling will make the loaf soggy as it proves. Be careful not to overstuff it, as this will make it difficult to shape later.
- Starting with a long side, roll into a log, then pinch the seam and ends to seal. Use a sharp knife to cut the log in half lengthwise to create two long ropes.
- Turn both ropes so the filling faces up and transfer to the prepared cookie sheet. Form the ropes into an "S," then bring the ends under the middle of the S to form a figure eight. Squeeze the ends together to seal.
- Cover with plastic wrap and prove the loaf at room temperature until the loaf is about doubled in size and the dough barely springs back when gently prodded with a fingertip, about 45 minutes.
- About 10 minutes before the pane bianco is done proving, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Baking
- Bake the fully proved pane bianco at 375°F for about 30 minutes, until the loaf is well risen, the cheese is nicely browned, and the loaf has an internal temperature of at least 190°F. You may need to cover the loaf with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes.
- Allow the loaf to cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Serve in slices with butter or a bowl of soup.
Notes
- Use bread flour, not all-purpose. AP lacks the protein content necessary to produce a high-rising, chewy pane bianco.
- Knead thoroughly. The dough must pass the windowpane test before proving.
- Drain fillings well. Too much liquid in the filling will make the loaf mushy and difficult to shape.
- Don't overstuff. Otherwise, you'll have ingredients spilling out everywhere, making a mess and burning on the cookie sheet.
- Use a thermometer to check if the loaf is done. It should be 190°F in the center.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
This post was originally published on May 9, 2018 and was updated on August 20, 2021. It was republished on June 17, 2022 with refreshed photos and content.
JOCELYN BRYANT
Hello, will this work with sweet ingredients such as dried cranberries, cinnamon and cardamom/allspice?
Emma
Yes, you can definitely try this with sweet ingredients instead. I'd spread some softened butter on the dough before adding the sweet toppings to help them stick (like with cinnamon rolls).
Alex
This bread is soft and chewy. The basil and garlic taste excellent together. The roasted red peppers have a lovely smoky taste. This is delicious!
Emma
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the pane bianco, Alex!
Beth
I love how colorful this bread is. This bread has beautiful swirls with sweet peppers and a lovely taste of basil. This is very soft and yummy. One of my favorites!
Emma
Me too! I love the smell of this bread as it bakes.