Phobias are meant to be conquered. I have a phobia of crowds – Enochlophobia. Can’t go to a busy public place as I start to have palpitations when it’s too crowded. Am trying to overcome it but looks like I am fighting a losing battle
Another phobia is working with yeast. The only class I ever attended was a bread baking class and thankfully that was a step in the right direction.
I love pesto – the nuttiness, the creaminess, the freshness of the sauce is to die for. I usually bottle up different sauces at home and stock it in my freezer for a rainy day.
The rains are thundering outside and it was time to pull out the pesto and tackle Mr. Yeast. Baked a pesto and spiced cheese pull apart loaf that’s simply yum. Layered alternately with pesto and cheese spiced with oregano and chilli flakes.
Perfect with a cup of tea but didn’t have the patience to wait until evening, so finished half of it for lunch.
Pesto Ingredients
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp pine nuts
2 garlic flakes
1/3 cup olive oil
salt
- Add basil leaves, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, salt in a food processer.
- Turn on the machine on low, then drizzle in olive oil while it mixes.
- Continue blending until combined adding additional olive oil if needed. Set aside
- Sieve the flour, add the salt, milk powder, sugar, yeast to it. Mix it well.
- Add the lukewarm water to the dry mix and mix it well.
- Use your table top to knead the dough, dust it with flour and gently start the kneading process.
- Do not put too much pressure. The movement starts from the top of your palms and stretch the dough to the bottom of your palm in a pushing motion, Light pressure only. Do not try to knead like chapati dough.
- Add the butter in instalments and keep on kneading. Little butter – knead – little flour to bind – knead – little butter and so on. Do not add extra butter or too much maida.
- Use a plastic scraper to help you get the dough together and continue to knead for about 15 mins.
- The dough tends to be sticky but will slowly come together towards the end. Do not overwork it. Pull out a small piece of the dough and stretch it. If it has elasticity and doesn’t tear easily, then your dough is ready.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Grease the dough also.
- Take a wet cloth and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Cover the dough with this cloth and leave it in a warm place for about 45 mins or till it has doubled in size.
- Line a bread tin with parchment paper to cover all sides.
- Gently deflate the dough and start rolling it out into rectangles. You can make circles also and cut out the sides to make a rectangle
- Lay 1 rectangle on the table top. Layer it with pesto sauce.
- Make another same size rectangle and place it on top of this one.
- Grate cheese on it, sprinkle oregano, chilli flakes and little salt.
- Continue the process, layer by layer (about 5-6 layers).
- After the last rectangle sheet is placed, cut it lengthways as per the size of the tin.
- Pick one layer length and put it on top of the other.
- Then cut breadthwise to make smaller rectangles.
- Place them side ways in the tin in a row, leaving enough space for it to expand.
- Spray milk lightly and keep it back covered, in a dark place for another 45 mins – 1 hr (i left it in my switched off oven).
- It will double again, remove it from the oven and spray with milk again.
- Preheat the oven to 175-180 degrees C.
- Bake on the lowest rack for 20-25 mins. Do not keep the tin on the floor of the oven.
- Leave the tin in the oven for 5-10 minutes once done. Remove from the oven and brush with butter. Grate some cheese on top.
- When slightly cool, remove from the tin and discard the parchment paper. Its ready to serve.
Note – The temperature of my oven is on the higher side, so i usually bake for lesser time. Please set the time and temperature as per your individual ovens. plus minus 5.
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