- Crumble the yeast into a mixing bowl. Warm the milk to 37°C. Dissolve the yeast in the milk. Add the salt and most of the flour. Knead into a smooth dough. Add a little more flour if necessary.
- Cover and leave to rise for about 1 hour until the dough doubles in size.
- Herb pesto: Blend all ingredients except the oil in a food processor or with a blender until it forms a crumbly mixture. Continue blending while slowly adding the oil.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll them into smooth balls. Roll out one portion of dough into a round shape that is approximately 30 cm in diameter. Place it on a tray lined with baking paper.
- Roll out the second piece of dough into a round shape matching the size of the first one. Set aside.
- Spread the pesto evenly over the dough circle on the baking tray. Place the second dough circle on top. Place a glass upside down in the centre of the dough circle. Use the glass as a guide and cut the dough into four equally-sized parts. Then cut each part into 4 equal sections. You will now have a total of 16 similarly-sized sections. Take two adjacent sections and twist them outward two full turns at the same time, then pinch the ends together to seal. Repeat the process for the remaining sections. Finish off by making a small cross cut in the centre of the dough.
- Leave to prove for another 30 minutes or so.
- Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Brush the dough with the beaten egg and bake in the lower part of the oven for about 20 minutes until golden and at an internal temperature of 98°C.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack. The bread is best enjoyed freshly baked.
Impress your guests at your mulled wine gathering with this star-shaped pesto bread – it’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
| Star bread 8–10 piecesr |
|
|---|---|
| 25 g | fresh yeast |
| 4 dl | milk |
| 1 ½ tsp | salt |
| 10 – 11 dl | plain flour |
| Herb pesto | |
|---|---|
| 1/2 dl | chopped dill |
| 1/2 dl | chopped parsley |
| 2 tbsp | chopped chives |
| 1 dl | baby spinach |
| 1 | small clove of garlic, pressed |
| 75 g | Le Gruyère AOP, grated |
| 1/2 dl | roasted sunflower seeds |
| 2 tsp | lemon juice |
| 1/2 dl | rapeseed oil |
| 1 1/2 | pinch of salt |
| a pinch of black pepper | |
| beaten egg for brushing | |
