Swirled Pesto Babka
Ingredients
Makes one large loaf:
500 g strong white bread flour
2 tsp salt
25 g caster sugar
10 g instant yeast
1 egg, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
35 g unsalted butter, softened
320 ml warm whole milk
130 g fresh pesto
2 tbsp pinenuts
To serve:
1 tbsp pine nuts
Small bunch basil leaves
Instructions
Step 1
Place the flour, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl and mix together. Add the yeast to the bowl.
Step 2
Mix together the egg and egg yolk, then pour all but 2 tbsp of the egg into the bowl with the flour. Add the butter and three quarters of the milk.
Step 3
Mix together the egg and egg yolk, then pour all but 2 tbsp of the egg into the bowl with the flour. Add the butter and three quarters of the milk.
Step 4
Knead the dough, using a food mixer with a dough hook for 8-10 minutes on a medium speed. Alternatively, you can knead on a work surface, lightly coated with olive oil, using your hands.
The dough will be sticky at first but will eventually become smooth.
Step 5
Place into a clean, oiled bowl and place in the oven on the dough proving programme for 30 minutes, until doubled in size.
Step 6
Remove the dough from the bowl and place on the work surface. Knead the dough again for a minute or two to knock the air out.
Step 7
Lightly flour the work surface, then roll out the dough to a rectangle measuring approx. 23cmx50cm (9 inches x 20 inches).
Step 8
Take the pesto, and discard any excess oil. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving a 1 cm border and sprinkle on the pinenuts.
Step 9
Roll up the bread tightly from the short end, and seal the edges with your fingers.
Step 10
Slice the dough in half, lengthways down the middle. Twist the two lengths of dough around each other, keeping the pesto side on top. Pinch the ends of the dough together.
Step 11
Place the dough into a greased 1kg loaf tin. Place back in the oven, on the dough proving function for 15 minutes.
Step 12
Take the bread out and preheat the oven to CircoTherm® 180°C. Brush the top of the bread with the remaining egg wash.
Step 13
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until well browned. It should sound hollow when tapped from underneath (cover with some foil if it browns too fast).
Step 14
Remove from the oven and carefully take the bread out of the tin. Leave to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack, then sprinkle with pine nuts, basil leaves and salt flakes before serving, cut into thick slices.
