Name: Pesto Focaccia Bread
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 53 min
Yield: 10 SERVINGS
Ingredients: 2 cups All purpose flour; 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoon Milk powder; 2.25 teaspoon Rapid rise Yeast or Instant yeast; 1.5 teaspoon Salt; 2 tablespoons Olive oil; 1 tablespoon Sugar; 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon Lukewarm water; 3/4 cup Homemade Pesto; 3 cups Fresh Parsley or Fresh Basil leaves; 3/4 cup Oil; 1/2 cup Pinenuts; 2/3 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese; 3 cloves of Garlic; 1 teaspoon Freshly grounded Black peppercorns; 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice; Salt to taste

Jump to Recipe

Nothing beats the taste and smell of homemade bread and this freshly-baked Pesto Focaccia bread tastes just amazing. The freshness of homemade pesto adds flavor and takes this bread to a whole new level.

Pesto is honestly the world’s most versatile spread. It can literally be eaten with almost any meal. In my house, if my kids want to enhance the flavor of any dish – they will just add pesto. As simple as that! Pesto Focaccia Bread

Personally, I just love the combination of the pesto’s coarse texture fused with the soft and smooth feel of bread.

This love for pesto led me to make a recipe for my kids who were at home for spring break. I made a bread that was infused with two things, pesto, and focaccia bread, creating the best pesto focaccia bread!

ARE YOU A PESTO LOVER?

If you are a huge pesto lover like me, then this focaccia bread is a MUST for you! It’s –

super easy to make
light
airy
delicious
and bursting with flavor.

This bread will enchant anyone who eats even a little crumb of this bread. All in all, it’s the perfect bread that can be paired with any meal, from salads to pasta.

What Makes up this Pesto Focaccia Bread Recipe?

This Pesto focaccia bread is infused with the most delicious pesto flavor and tastes amazingly good. To maintain that fresh taste and flavor I have used homemade parsley pesto. But feel free to experiment with any pesto of your choice.

The base for this bread uses rapid rise yeast/instant yeast. Have no instant yeast on hand? No worries, use active dry yeast. But unlike instant yeast, active dry yeast cannot be added directly to the dough. It needs to be proofed/activated. Activating dry yeast is simple – please follow this link for more details.

Knead the dough and allow it to rest for 30-35 minutes or until it doubles in size. After the resting time spread the dough in a greased baking dish. Make indents and evenly spread pesto all over the top surface. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Drizzle with oil and serve warm.

PLEASE DO NOT SKIP OLIVE OIL!

Olive oil is the heart of focaccia bread. It’s added while:

kneading the dough
finishing the dough
drizzled on top when freshly out of the oven
and is eaten with olive oil.

The day I baked this bread, my kids came sniﬃng out the scent just like a detective following a trail of clues. As soon as they laid their eyes on the freshly baked bread, they couldn’t contain their joy. I had to hold them back to at least let the bread cool down.

HIGHLIGHTS!

Its crisp round edges and its brown warm look will be enough to entice anyone into your cooking skills. So, if you want a healthy and hearty focaccia bread to eat, then you have to try this bread. My kids absolutely loved this bread and they devoured it down ﬁnishing an entire plate in a few minutes. Leftovers make a perfect bread for any meal of the day!

I encourage you to give this recipe a try and share your feedback! If you have questions related to this recipe, send me an email and I would be happy to answer them. We’d love to hear from you. 🙂

Craving for more, try these other options!

Thanks for reading.💕

Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to rate it by clicking on the stars below!

Pesto Focaccia Bread

5 from 2 votes

Pin Recipe

Author : Ruchi

Course : Sides

Cuisine : American

Calories : 435kcal

Prep Time : 35 minutes

Cook Time : 18 minutes

Total Time : 53 minutes

Change Serving size to : 10 SERVINGS

Ingredients

FOR THE BASE - BREAD

2 cups All purpose flour
3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoon Milk powder
2.25 teaspoon Rapid rise Yeast or Instant yeast
1.5 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 tablespoon Sugar
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon Lukewarm water
3/4 cup Homemade Pesto

PARSLEY PESTO OR BASIL PESTO - MAKES 1 CUP

3 cups Fresh Parsley or Fresh Basil leaves
3/4 cup Oil
1/2 cup Pinenuts
2/3 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
3 cloves of Garlic
1 teaspoon Freshly grounded Black peppercorns
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Assemble ingredients.
Combine everything in a big bowl. Pour lukewarm water into the dry ingredients and knead a soft pliable dough.
If the dough is sticky add in an extra 1 tablespoon flour while it is mixing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel.
Grease a baking bowl and press the dough into that bowl.
Place it in a warm location and let it rise for 30-35 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat oven @350 degree F. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to poke deep indents all over the dough.
For pesto - combine all the ingredients listed under - 'Parsley pesto' in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
Evenly brush pesto all over the top surface of the dough.
Bake in a preheated oven (@350 degree F) for 18-20 minutes or until the crust is slightly golden in color.
Remove from the oven.
Drizzle with olive oil, slice, and serve warm.

Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided below is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. Please refer to a Registered Dietitian or Nutritionists if you have any health issues.

Nutrition Information

Did you enjoy this recipe?Take a picture and share with me on Facebook or Instagram and Mention @ruchiskitchen! I would love to see how it turned out for you!