Pane Bianco
I visited Izzio bakery at the Denver Central Market a while ago and was very inspired by the artisan look of the bread (and pastries!) I’ve not worked with yeast before, but I was up for the challenge! So when my friend, Norma, shared a recipe she really liked called, “Pane Bianco” via King Arthur’s recipe and photo on the web site. I saw how rustic and savory it looked I knew it was time to try my hand at bread. I even envisioned exactly what kind of scene I would create…now the baking part.
Izzio Bakery at Denver Central Market
Rolling the dough out.
Norma and I worked on this post together. We made our first pane bianco together just like the recipe said. I thought it was little bland, so I added a table spoon and a half of butter and a tablespoon of sugar to the dough. I realized the first time I used an Italian cheese that was heavy on the mozzarella so we tried another blend with more parmesan and asiago. Much more flavorful. We approximated that we doubled the amount of cheese and and sun-dried tomatoes than recipe called for. You just slice it like sandwich bread to serve, or toasted and it’s almost like a pizza.
Pane Bianco Recipe from King Arthur
Dough
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour*
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/3 cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
Filling
3/4 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese or the cheese of your choice
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes or your own oven-roasted tomatoes
3 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, green or purple
Directions
To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients in a bowl (or the bucket of your bread machine), and mix and knead — by hand, using a mixer, or in your bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a smooth, very soft dough. The dough should stick a bit to the bottom of the bowl if you're using a stand mixer.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 45 to 60 minutes, or until it's doubled in size.
Meanwhile, thoroughly drain the tomatoes, patting them dry. Use kitchen shears to cut them into smaller bits.
Gently deflate the dough. Flatten and pat it into a 22" x 8 1/2" rectangle. Spread with the cheese, tomatoes, garlic, and basil.
Starting with one long edge, roll the dough into a log the long way. Pinch the edges to seal. Place the log seam-side down on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Using kitchen shears, start 1/2" from one end and cut the log lengthwise down the center about 1" deep, to within 1/2" of the other end.
Keeping the cut side up, form an "S" shape. Tuck both ends under the center of the "S" to form a "figure 8;" pinch the ends together to seal.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, 45 to 60 minutes.
While the loaf is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Uncover the bread, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it with foil after 20 to 25 minutes to prevent over-browning.
Remove the bread from the oven, and transfer it to a rack to cool. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Store, well-wrapped, at room temperature for a couple of days; freeze for longer storage.
Tips from our bakers
Substitute all-purpose flour 1:1 for the bread flour in the recipe, if desired. Reduce the water to 1/4 cup.
When making anything with yeast, including this bread, let the dough rise to the point the recipe says it should, e.g., "Let the dough rise until it's doubled in bulk." Rising times are only a guide; there are so many variables in yeast baking that it's impossible to say that bread dough will ALWAYS double in bulk in a specific amount of time.
Chop your basil with kitchen shears, just as you do the sun-dried tomatoes.
Want to make a gluten-free version of this bread? See our gluten-free focaccia recipe, with its tips for adding filling.