Pesto Bread

If making your own pesto.....

- 55g fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 120ml good olive oil (virgin or extra-virgin)
- 85g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Combine basil, garlic and salt in a food processor, and blend them
together; alternatively, pound them in a pestle and mortar. With
the processor still going, dribble in the oil, and blend until smooth.
Then add the cheese, and combine well.

If using bought pesto.....

- 100g or thereabouts pesto sauce
- olive oil to thin
- garlic as required

Thin the pesto to a pouring consistency, and add some garlic. Cut down on the salt in the dough, as commercial pesto usually has salt in it.

For the dough....

- 285ml (1/2 pint) lukewarm water
- 2.5 tsp active dried yeast
- 2 tsp salt (if using homemade pesto), or 1 tsp (if using bought)
- 225g whole meal flour
- 225g unbleached white flour

Dissolve the yeast in the water in your mixing bowl, and leave for 10
minutes. Then stir in the pesto, and mix well.

Mix the salt and whole meal flour, and then fold this into the liquid. Then fold in the white flour, and turn it out onto a floured surface.
Knead for 10-15 minutes, until the dough is elastic and silky. Shape into a ball, place in a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel or cling film, and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk.

Knock back the dough, divide in two, and knead each piece briefly.
Then shape into two round loaves, place on an oiled baking sheet,
cover and leave to rise for another 40-60 minutes, until doubled in
size again.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to gas mark 8/230C/450F. Slash the loaves
with a sharp knife, and put them in the oven. Turn the heat down to gas mark 6/200C/400F, and spray the oven and the loaf with water three times in the first 10 minutes of cooking, to produce a good crust. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the loaves are deep brown, and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the oven, and cool on a wire rack.