low fodmap ✓ | gluten-free ✓ | nut-free ✓ | lactose-free ✓ | soy-free ✓ | vegetarian ✓
I always get so happy when there is freshly baked bread. I mean there is no better smell than the one of freshly baked bread, don’t you agree? This gluten free mozzarella and pesto stuffed bread is my latest obsession and just a dream come true! The best part is you won’t be able to tell that is gluten-free!
Gluten Free Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed Bread Recipe
This bread is pillowy soft, tender, flavorful, so cheesy, pesto-infused, and just beyond delicious! It’s great to have on its own or with any savory toppings of choice!
How to make this Gluten Free Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed Bread?
To make this bread you won’t need any special equipment like a bread machine.
In total there are 3 steps to make this bread.
1.Make the dough and let it rise.
2.Make the pesto (this one you can skip if using store-bought pesto)
3. Asseble the bread, let it rise one more time and it’s ready to bake!
I recommend that you let the bread rise twice because it just gets more soft and pillowy.
To find the exact amount of the ingredients and step-by-step instructions, scroll at the end of this page.
what flour to use to make it?
I like to use my universal homemade gluten-free flour blend. Which is a mix of the following flours :
3. Sweet Rice Flour (Glutinous Rice aka Sticky Rice)
4. Tapioca Flour (tapioca starch is the same as tapioca flour)
5. Xanthan Gum
If you can’t make that one, you can try with any gluten-free flour mix (just make sure it contains xanthan gum because that helps in binding the dough). The final result using different flour mix might vary slightly, depending on what flours your mix contains.
To find the recipe for my gluten-free flour mix click, HERE.
*Freezing tip:
This Gluten-Free Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed Bread is freezer friendly. To freeze it simply wrap the loaf or the slices in plastic foil and place it in a freezer friendly bag or container. To defrost it, thaw in the fridge or room temperature or warm it up in the oven on 180C (350F) degrees. The bread will stay good in the freezer for up to 4 months.
* FODMAP tip:
*To make sure that your flour mix is fodmap friendly I recommend that you make your own gluten-free flour mix, I always make this one. Or always read the ingredients of the store-bought gluten-free flour mixes. Make sure your mix doesn’t contain soy flour, chickpea/besan/gram/garbanzo bean flour, lentil flour, coconut flour, amaranth flour, or lupin flour.
*Store-bought pesto is usually not low FODMAP as it contains garlic and other FODMAPs. Either use store-bought pesto that is certified to be low FODMAP or that doesn’t contain high FODMAP ingredients or make one yourself. There is a simple recipe for homemade pesto below.
*As a general rule always read the labels of the ingredients that you use as there can be sneaky FODMAP’s in any product. To educate yourself of which foods are high in FODMAP’s I’d strongly recommend downloading Monash Unversity FODMAP Diet App
*gluten-free tip:
If you are celiac or highly sensitive to gluten, buy certified gluten-free yeast. Dried instant yeast is naturally gluten-free, however, depending on the manufacturing place and process there can be cross-contamination.
Gluten Free Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed Bread
Ingredients
For the dough
- 8 g instant yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 500 g gluten-free flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 100 g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 250 ml lactose-free milk
For the simple low FODMAP pesto
- 100 g fresh basil (4 cups)
- 150 ml garlic infused olive oil (2/3 cup)
- 50 g pine nuts
- 50 g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (2/3 cup)
- 1 tsp salt
For stuffing the bread
- 200 g mozzarella cheese
Other Ingredients
- 50 g melted butter
- 20 ml garlic infused olive oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsly chopped
- 2 Tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
To make the dough
- Add 1 teaspoon of sugar over the yeast and 1/3 cup of the milk. Stir to dissolve.
- In a large bowl combine flour, rest of the sugar, salt. Add melted butter, dissolved yeast, eggs and the rest of the milk.
- Stir to combine and knead until the dough is soft, a bit sticky but quite elastic and pulls away from the side of the bowl. If it feels too soft, you can add extra flour and if it is not soft enough add a bit milk.
- Cover the dough with a plastic wrap, place it in a warm place and let it rise for about 40min or until double in size.
To make the pesto
- Combine fresh basil, 2/3 cup (165 ml) of garlic oil, pine nuts and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse on and off a few times, then process until a paste forms, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add cheese and process until combined and somewhat smooth
To Assamble
- Preheat oven to 190˚C (375˚F)
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Take one and form a rope about 20cm long (8 inches). then roll flat.
- Spread half of the pesto evenly on flattened dough, then sprinkle half of the mozzarella on top of the pesto.
- Pinch the dough closed, and squeeze together, making sure the ingredients are not coming out.
- Fold the stuffed dough rope into a zigzag shape. Repeat with the second part of the dough.
- Mix together melted butter, garlic infused olive oil, pepper, chives ,and parsley. Spoon one half over first layer of stuffed dough.
- Place second stuffed dough on top. Spoon the rest of the melted butter and parsley over the top.
- Let the bread rise for another 40min. (optional, but I recommend rising the dough 2nd time as it makes the bread softer and more tender)
- Bake for 30 minutes. Cover the loaf pan with foil, then bake for an additional 30 minutes.
- Remove from loaf pan and let cool.
- Slice, serve and enjoy! 🙂
looks amazing! Do you think it will work with eggs replacement? Like flax egg
Yes you can use flax egg, however, the dough will be slightly less stretchy.
I have tried making this dough twice, once with this recipe and once with the nutella recipe. I noticed the directions are different. In both situations, you end up with a dough similar to wheat dough, that can be manipulated. I end up with dough that is either sticky or too much flour, but never elastic and something manipulable. I would love to see pictures added of the stages to see what it should look like. I am new to gf baking and Im still trying to figure out how different doughs work.
Thanks.
Hi Jessica, yes it is the same recipe. Unfortunately, I don’t have photos of the process. I will take it into consideration for future recipes to show photos of the process. However, for these 2 recipes, you can see the process on My Instagram account @glutenfree_stories under story highlights, search for these 2 recipes. There you can see how the dough should look like. I don’t know why you might be getting these results (maybe if you are using a different flour than the one I’m suggesting, because other store-bought gluten free flour blends are made from different flours that behave differently.)