Basil Shallot Bread
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons margarine or butter – cut up
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
1/2 cup snipped fresh basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts — toasted
Select recipe size. Add first 9 ingredients to the machine according to manufacturer’s directions. Select the dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine. Punch down. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, for filling, in a small saucepan cook the shallots in hot oil until tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine the basil, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts; stir in shallot mixture. On a lightly floured surface, roll the 1-1/2 pound dough into a 15-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Cut into three 15-in. x 4-in. strips. (Roll the 2 pound dough into a 17-in. x 12-in. rectangle; cut into three 17-in. x 4-in. strips.) Spread one-third of the filling down center of each strip; moisten edges. Bring long edges together over filling and pinch to seal. To shape, line up the ropes, 1 in. apart, on a greased baking sheet. Starting in the middle, loosely braid by bringing the left rope under the center rope. Bring the right rope under the new center rope. Repeat to end.
On the other end, braid by bringing the outside ropes alternately over the center rope to center. Press ends together; tuck under. Cover and let rise in a warm place about 40 minutes or until nearly double. Bake in a 350′ oven about 25 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. If necessary, loosely cover with foil the last 5 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Remove; cool on a wire rack.
Source: “The Complete Guide to Bread Machine Baking”
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