I have a lil announcement this week! Since my last post, I have started a Ballerina Baker Instagram account! It has very little going on at the moment, but I promise it will grow overtime. I hate to be that guy, but I’d love it if you’d follow me! I have so much to share.
Ok now that that’s over, I can start complaining. Is it just me, or is it unusually hot for June? In the last post I think I said something about being happy it wasn’t too hot yet. Well THINGS HAVE CHANGED. It is HOT out there y’all.
I have a distinct hatred for summer weather. It’s so very hot, and I don’t like swimming or going to the pool. I don’t like being in the bright hot sun because it tires me out, and its just hot and uncomfy. But this weekend, I’m going to see a concert which just so happens to be outside. Ugh. Not looking forward to the heat stroke, but I am looking forward to the concert otherwise.
It has been crazy in my kitchen this week. I’ve been baking at least two things everyday, and a lot of my days have been 6-8 hours straight of baking. I love to bake, but that gets tiring! A few days ago, I spent hours on decorating a cake. It went horribly wrong at the beginning when about a quarter of the cake fell off. I then spent the following four hours on fixing it to make sure the cake was photo ready. It wasn’t a flaw in the recipe, I was just being impatient and started assembling the cakes before they were cooled entirely. Don’t do that.
Anyway, it being June means it’s Garlic Scape season! Garlic scapes are in season in late spring/early summer, so we’re nearing the end of their season. But they’re still around! I meant to get this recipe out sooner but I hit a few issues in developing it that I needed to devote more time to fixing.
What are Garlic Scapes?
Before I break down this bread, lets establish what garlic scapes are and why they taste so good in pesto. Garlic scapes are the stem and flower bud of a hardback garlic plant. They start out growing straight out of the garlic bulb, but then curl the longer they get. They end up looking like these long, curly, green bean looking plants. They still have that garlic flavor in them, but with an earthier, greener undertone that makes them less strong. This makes them a perfect addition to a classic basil pesto to give your bread a unique summery flavor.
Describe this Bread to me
Taste: The bread itself is buttery and a little salty which pairs perfectly with the filling. The garlic scapes add this unique herby garlic flavor, which goes perfectly with the fresh basil and creamy mozzarella.
Texture: The bread is perfectly soft and moist as any good bread should be. Then you’ve got swirls of that refreshing and smooth herby pesto, and even a few cheese pulls from the mozzarella.
Ease: This is pretty simple in terms of homemade bread. The dough is very familiar and basic, and the pesto comes together quickly in a food processor. It can be a bit of a challenge to shape the bread but if you read the instructions carefully and watch the video, it should help you figure it out.
The Dough
As I said earlier, this is a very common dough for sandwich breads. The buttermilk, egg, and butter keep the dough flavorful and rich, while the bread flour and yeast work to keep it light and fluffy. Once you allow it to rise, there will be plenty of pockets for air to ensure the dough stays nice and soft.
The Filling
The main part of the filling is the garlic scape pesto. This comes together by grinding up chopped garlic scapes, fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Because of the garlic scapes, the dough won’t ever get quite as smooth as your typical pesto, but that doesn’t change much once you spread it all over your dough. Layered on top of that, I sprinkle on a mixture of shredded Parmesan and mozzarella. This helps bind the buttery flavors of the bread with the sharper and fresher flavors in the pesto.
Shaping
The shape of this bread can look a little daunting to some, but it isn’t too terribly difficult. Start by rolling your dough out into a rectangle to spread your filling all over. Then we roll that up as if it were a cinnamon roll, but we cut the log in half length wise instead of into rolls. The trick here is to leave one end of the log attached so the two sides stay together. Then you’ll braid those two strands together and transfer it to your bread dish.
Garlic Scape Pesto Swirl Bread
Ingredients
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm buttermilk, warm water, yeast, and sugar together. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for five minutes.
- Add the butter, egg, salt, garlic powder, and a cup of flour and whisk until smooth. Then add the remaining 2 cups of flour and fold together with a spatula until a dough comes together.
- Dump the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it for 5 minutes. If it's getting too sticky, add a little more flour. Once done kneading, the dough should slowly bounce back when you poke it. If it doesn't bounce back, keep going. Place your kneaded dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or cling wrap and set it on the counter to rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size. In the warmer months, I always let mine rise outside where it's warmer and more humid.
- Add the chopped garlic scapes, basil, olive oil, cheese, and pine nuts to a food processor. Blend until it reaches a spreadable consistency. It will look a little lumpy, that's ok! Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a bowl toss together the ⅓ cup of parmesan and ⅓ cup of mozzarella. Set aside. Grease a 9×5 inch bread pan with butter and set aside.
- Punch down your risen dough to release any big air bubbles. Place the dough on a floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it out into a 9×15 inch rectangle. Spread the pesto evenly on top. Sprinkle the cheese mix on top of that. Tightly roll the dough into a 15 inch log and pinch the seam to seal it. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut along the middle of the loaf lengthwise, starting about two inches into the loaf. This means the very top of the log should still be connected, while the rest is sliced into two long strips. Fold one strip over top of the other, and then the other on top of that to form a braid. Quickly and carefully transfer that into the previously prepared baking pan.
- Cover with cling wrap and allow to rise for just 30 minutes. While this happens, preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet to catch any oil that may drip out of the loaf. Bake for 45-55 minutes, checking on it at the 30 minute mark. Tent with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Bread is done when all sides are browned, and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before removing from the pan. Slice and enjoy! Bread stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.