Marbled Pesto Bread

Pesto Bread

For the dough:
5/8 cup milk
scant 2/3 cup water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups unbleached white bread flour
1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp rapid rise dry yeast
7 tbsp ready made (or home made) pesto sauce (I would actually cut this to no more than 5 tbsp, it was bit too much when I made it)

For the topping:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp coarse sea salt

1. Remove the milk from the refrigerator 30 minutes before using, to bring it to room temperature. Reserve some of the water and mix it with the yeas, pour the rest of the water, milk, and extra virgin olive oil in a bowl or bread machine pan.

2. Sprinkle the flour over the liquid, then put the sugar and salt on top of the flour.

3. Mix the ingredients together and knead until you have a nice dough. Should be about 4-8 minutes.

4. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover to rise for about an hour, or until doubled.

5. Punch back the dough gently. Then roll it out to a rectangle about 3/4inch thick and 10 inches long. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and leave to relax for a few minutes if it is difficult to roll out.

6. Spread the pesto sauce over the dough, leave a clear border of about 1/2 inch along one long edge. Roll up the dough lengthways, jelly-roll fashion, tuck the ends under and place seam down in a lightly oiled 10x4 loaf pan.

7. Cover with oiled clear film and set aside in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes or until the dough has more than doubled in size. Preheat oven to 425F/220C/Gas7.

8. Remove the clear film and brush the olive oil over the top of the loaf. Use a sharp knife to score the top with four diagonal cuts. Repeat the cuts in the opposite direction to make a criss cross pattern, sprinkle with sea salt. (I also sprinkled with some dried herbs. Added some to the dough as well, thyme, basil, oregano. Also added garlic and onion powder to the dough in small amounts)

9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.