I made this killer caprese bread a couple days ago and had to share it with you! So the bread itself is sweet, and then I rolled up tomato and basil sauce along with some sliced mozzarella. It left the bread dense and probably one of my favorite homemade breads I've ever had. The cheese wasn't stringy and gooey like it would be in other dishes. I think it sort of melted into the bread which is what made it so dense.
I initially made this bread and tested it for my homemade cinnamon swirl bread. I then thought that I would adapt it for this recipe. I left the bread sort of sweet, because I love a little sweet in my red sauce. I know some people aren't about the sweet sauce, so you might want to skip this recipe if that is you.
That crazy swirl though. I know for a fact that I rolled it up like normal, but it came out looking all abstract. Pretty cool, right? It adds some interest to the bread for sure. You can see where some of the cheese bubbled along the seam of the top of the pan. So let me warn you, place another pan underneath to catch the mess, tin foil, just something. Otherwise you will hate me forever with baked on cheese in your oven and I don't want that. ;(
I was pretty excited to be able to pick a couple of leaves off my basil plant for this photo. I don't get to do that often since I'm all about the dessert life. Does anyone else just love sniffing basil? Well, I love sniffing any herb really. My favorite happens to be basil and spearmint though.
Caprese Bread
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm water 110°
- 1 T. active dry yeast
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup butter cubed
- ½ cups + 1 tsp. granulated sugar divided
- 5 ¼ cups bread flour divided
- 1 T. vegetable oil
- ½ cup Bertolli Tomato & Basil Sauce
- 12 oz. mozzarella thinly sliced
Instructions
Bread
- In a small bowl, add in the yeast, warm water, and the 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it gets foamy.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add in the butter and milk. Place into the microwave for 2 and ½ minutes. Stir.
- Add the yeast mixture into the large bowl with the butter and milk. Stir.
- Add the remaining sugar and whisk to combine.
- Add in 5 cups of bread flour and beat with a stand mixer and dough hook. When it comes together and forms a beautiful ball, it's done.
- Add the vegetable oil. Roll so the dough is coated with oil.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place a tea towel over top of the plastic wrap and place into a warm place to rise.
- Once the dough has doubled, punch it down.
- Flour the clean work surface with ¼ cup of flour and begin to roll out the dough. Knead the dough to remove all of the air. I worked mine for about 4 minutes to release any air.
- Press the dough into a nice rectangle form. Compare the width of the dough to your loaf pan to make sure it will fit. Try to roll the dough so it increases in length and not width.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Spread the sauce on to of the dough. Keep it about 1 inch from the sides and 1.5 inches from the end. That will prevent most of the sauce spilling out everywhere.
- Add the thinly sliced mozzarella on top of the sauce. Keep that also 1 inch away from the sides and 1.5 inches - 2 inches away from the end.
- Roll the bread up as tight as you can. When it's all roll up, pinch along the seam to close the bread up. Give it a few rolls back and forth to help remove any additional air bubbles.
- Push the ends into the bread and pinch together to the on the outside.
- Place the bread into the loaf pan. Cover with a plastic wrap and tea towel you used earlier and let rise for 20 minutes.
- Brush the top of the bread with the egg wash.
- Place into a 350 degree preheated oven. Be sure to place a pan or tin foil underneath the loaf pan and let bake for 40 minutes or until done.
- Let the bread rest for about 20 minutes and remove from the loaf pan. Rub the loaf of bread with a tablespoon of butter.
- Wrap the bread in a bread bag or plastic wrap to stay fresh.
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
grace says
very excellent idea! i love all things caprese, and this is definitely no exception!
Demeter | Beaming Baker says
What a gorgeous loaf! I love how golden and perfectly toasted the exterior is. Also, that swirl... Miranda, you've outdone yourself! 🙂
Jana says
Hello, my name is Jana and I am from Germany. I love the American kitchen. Now I would like to bake your bread, unfortunately I do not understand your abbreviation as follows; 1 T. dry yeast, does it mean 1 cup or 1 sachet?
Miranda says
Hi Jan! T. stands for tablespoon.