Pesto Star Bread Recipes

PESTO STAR BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine milk, egg, butter, sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 4 portions. Roll each into a 12-in. circle. Place 1 circle on a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Spread with half the basil pesto to within 1/2 in. of edges; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Place second circle of dough on top; spread with sun-dried tomato pesto and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Top with third circle of dough, remaining basil pesto and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan; top with final portion of dough., Place a 2-1/2-in. round cutter on top of the dough in center of circle (do not press down). With a sharp knife, make 16 evenly spaced cuts from round cutter to edge of dough, forming a starburst. Remove cutter; grasp 2 adjacent strips and rotate twice outward. Pinch ends together. Repeat with remaining strips., Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake until golden brown, 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven; brush with melted butter, avoiding areas where pesto is visible. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, sprinkle with additional cheese and basil before serving; serve with pesto or marinara.

3-INGREDIENT PESTO STAR BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500F. Lightly grease or line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
• Lightly sprinkle flour over a cutting board, then use a rolling pin to roll out the first ball of dough until it's about 1/2″ thick. Transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with other ball of dough, but keep it on the cutting board for now.
• Spread a layer of pesto evenly over the base layer of dough, leaving a 1/2″ edge around the rim. Place the second circle of dough on top, lining the edges up as much as possible. Use your fingers to "pinch the two ends together
• Place a small round object in the center of the dough to prevent cutting all the way through out. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 16 equal pieces. I find it's easiest to do this by first cutting the dough into quarters, then each fourth into 4 more even pieces.
• Create 8 pairs of two adjacent strips of dough. Holding one strip in each hand, twist the strips outward from each other 2-3 times, then join them together at the end and pinch the "tip." Repeat with the remaining strips of dough - see the blog post video or photos for more help.
• Brush the top of the dough with oil, then place on the top rack of the oven and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until fluffy and golden on top. Serve immediately and enjoy warm; leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or frozen and reheated as necessary.

BRAIDED BREAD WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Combine basil, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Process until smooth. Gradually pour in olive oil and process until pesto thickens. Add Parmesan cheese, walnuts, and salt; process for 20 seconds more. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to combine.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Mix flour and salt together in a bowl. Gradually add to the yeast mixture along with olive oil. Stir until just combined. Add more flour if dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn dough over so both top and bottom are oiled. Cover with aluminum foil and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Lightly flour your work surface. Gently stretch and elongate dough into a rectangle roughly 12x18 inches. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Gently roll up into a 'snake', starting from 1 long side. Pinch the seam closed.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal or line with parchment paper.
• Transfer rolled dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut the roll in half lengthwise. Turn dough so cut edges face up. Gently crisscross the dough, keeping cut edges facing up. Pinch ends together to form a wreath. Let rest for 30 minutes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

BASIL PESTO BREAD ROUNDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven on broiler setting. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place under broiler for 5 to 8 minutes, or until lightly toasted on one side. Watch carefully to ensure they don't burn. Remove from oven, and flip bread slices so that the toasted side is on the bottom.
• Set the oven temperature for 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, pesto, garlic, Parmesan and salt. Spread evenly over untoasted sides of bread slices.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Set the oven to broil, and place the rounds under the broiler just until they begin to bubble and turn golden. Let cool slightly before serving.