Twisted Pesto Bread

Directions

1. In a food processor fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, salt and yeast/starter. Make sure to put the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl or the salt will kill the yeast.
2. With mixer running on medium, slowly add your water. Mix until the dough comes together in a clean ball.
3. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and transfer to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size (30 minutes to 1h, depending on your yeast).
4. While the dough is proving, prepare your pesto: put your basil and garlic in a blender and blitz until puréed. Add the cheese and pine nuts, blending quickly. With the lid on and your blender running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
6. Roll out your dough on a silicone mat into a 25×50 cm/10×20 inch rectangle. Spread the pesto to about 1cm/½ inch from the edges. Tightly roll up your dough starting from one of the shorter sides, pinching the edges as you go.
7. Using a sharp knife, split the dough down the middle, leaving one end intact. Twist the ends around each other, making sure to turn the cut side towards the top. At this point, you can carefully transfer your dough to a lightly greased loaf pan, or go free-form.Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.
8. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for another 20-30 minutes.
9. Bake for about 40 minutes or until you get that hollow sound when tapping the bottom.
10. Find more recipes on my blog http://alalemon.com