Pane Bianco - twisted Italian loaf filled with basil, garlic, tomatoes & cheese

I took the King Arthur Flour monthly Bakealong Challenge and came up with this Italian bread filled with basil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and a blend of Italian cheeses. Simply put—this soft, white twisted loaf is DELICIOUS! Although it looks fancy and complicated, it is not that difficult to make. 

Pane Bianco     Makes 1 loaf

Bread Ingredients:

2 to 3 cups bread flour (bread flour helps this twisted loaf retain it’s shape)
2 teaspoons instant yeast 
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk at 115-120°
1/3 cup water at 115-120°
3 tablespoons olive oil

Filling Ingredients: 

3/4 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese or the cheese of your choice
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and diced or broken into 1/2" pieces
3 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, green or purple

1. Add 2 cup of bread flour to a bowl; add remaining bread ingredient. Mix and add only enough of the remaining flour so that do is not sticky. 
   
2. Knead dough until it's smooth and elastic; dough should be soft (that’s why you want to avoid using excess flour). 
   
3. Lightly grease a bowl. Put the dough into bowl, cover, and let rise for about an hour, or until just about double in size. 
   
4. While the dough is resting, gather and prepare filling ingredients.
5. When dough in doubled in size, gently deflate and round it into a workable ball. Let it rest for 10 minutes or so (no need to cover it). This short rest will relax the dough's gluten, making it easier to roll/pat out.
   
6. Roll and pat the dough into a large rectangle, about 22" x 8 1/2". 
7. Sprinkle the dough with the cheese (I reserved a little to add to the bread during the last couple of minutes of baking), tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Don't be tempted to overfill as this will create a messy-looking loaf.
   
8. Starting with one long edge, roll the dough into a log the long way.
9. Pinch the edges to seal. Place the log seam-side down on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
   
   
   
   
10. 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.
    
11. 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 gently to seal. When shaping the loaf, tuck any larger pieces of tomato or basil down into the dough to prevent charring as it bakes. (In the photo below I have not yet tucked in excess tomato and basil pieces.)
    
12. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
13. Before the loaf has completely risen, preheat the oven to 350°.
14. Uncover the bread, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it with foil after 25 to 30 minutes to prevent over-browning. When it's done, remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a rack to cool. (I added the last of the reserved cheese right before bread came out of the oven.)
15. Serve warm or at room temperature. 
    

Recipe without photos . . .

Pane Bianco     Makes 1 loaf

Bread Ingredients:

2 to 3 cups bread flour (bread flour helps this twisted loaf retain it’s shape)
2 teaspoons instant yeast 
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk at 115-120°
1/3 cup water at 115-120°
3 tablespoons olive oil

Filling Ingredients: 

3/4 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese or the cheese of your choice
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and diced or broken into 1/2" pieces
3 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, green or purple

1. Add 2 cup of bread flour to a bowl; add remaining bread ingredient. Mix and add only enough of the remaining flour so that do is not sticky. 
2. Knead dough until it's smooth and elastic; dough should be soft (that’s why you want to avoid using excess flour). 
3. Lightly grease a bowl. Put the dough into bowl, cover, and let rise for about an hour, or until just about double in size. 
4. While the dough is resting, gather and prepare filling ingredients.
5. When dough in doubled in size, gently deflate and round it into a workable ball. Let it rest for 10 minutes or so (no need to cover it). This short rest will relax the dough's gluten, making it easier to roll/pat out.
6. Roll and pat the dough into a large rectangle, about 22" x 8 1/2". 
7. Sprinkle the dough with the cheese (I reserved a little to add to the bread during the last couple of minutes of baking), tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Don't be tempted to overfill as this will create a messy-looking loaf.
8. Starting with one long edge, roll the dough into a log the long way.
9. Pinch the edges to seal. Place the log seam-side down on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
10. 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.
11. 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 gently to seal. When shaping the loaf, tuck any larger pieces of tomato or basil down into the dough to prevent charring as it bakes.
12. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
13. Before the loaf has completely risen, preheat the oven to 350°.
14. Uncover the bread, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it with foil after 25 to 30 minutes to prevent over-browning. When it's done, remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a rack to cool. (I added the last of the reserved cheese right before bread came out of the oven.)
15. Serve warm or at room temperature.