Pumpkin Seed Pesto Bread

July 18, 2017

702

This bread is a great side to any meal but is especially good with a rich pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto Bread

This bread is made with a mix of white and wholemeal flour streaked through with a pesto paste made from fresh coriander (cilantro) and pumpkin seeds! It's a great companion to pumpkin soup.

CourseBreakfast, Dessert, Snack
CuisineInternational

Servings	Prep Time
8 people	1 Hour

Cook Time

40 Minutes

Servings	Prep Time
8 people	1 Hour

Cook Time

40 Minutes

Pumpkin Seed Pesto Bread

This bread is made with a mix of white and wholemeal flour streaked through with a pesto paste made from fresh coriander (cilantro) and pumpkin seeds! It's a great companion to pumpkin soup.

CourseBreakfast, Dessert, Snack
CuisineInternational

Servings	Prep Time
8 people	1 Hour

Cook Time

40 Minutes

Servings	Prep Time
8 people	1 Hour

Cook Time

40 Minutes

Ingredients

For the bread

400 ml warm water
1½ teaspoons golden caster sugar
1 tablespoon active dried yeast
325 gram white bread flour
175 gram stoneground wholemeal bread flour
1½ teaspoons Sea Salt
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds - coarsely chopped optional

For the pesto:

25 gram shelled pumpkin seeds
40 gram fresh coriander
½ tablespoon hot green chilli - seeded and finely chopped
1 clove crushed garlic
5 tablespoons olive oil
25 gram Parmesan cheese finely grated

Servings: people

Units:

Instructions

Place 150ml of the warm water into a cup. Stir in the sugar and the dried yeast. Leave somewhere warm for about 5 - 10 minutes or until covered in a thick layer of froth.
Meanwhile, add the flour and salt into a bowl.
Add the yeast mixture and the remaining warm water and stir until well mixed. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.
For the pumpkin seed pesto, put the pumpkin seeds, coriander, chilli, garlic and oil into a food processor and blend to a paste. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Optionally, add salt to taste.
Place the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Remove excess air and then knead again until smooth. Divide into two equal pieces and roll each piece out into a 25 x 15cm rectangle. Spread half the pesto paste over each piece of dough leaving a 1cm edge. Starting with one longer edge, tightly roll up each piece of the dough, pinching the edges together as you go, then pinch the final seam closed. Use a large sharp knife to cut each roll lengthways in half, and then twist the 2 pieces together again, keeping the pesto seam uppermost. Lay the twists side-by-side in the lightly oiled stoneware dish and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
Cover the dish loosely with a sheet of cling film, and leave in a warm place to rise for until doubled in size. You want the dough to fill the dish and to be just touching the cling film.
In the interim, preheat the oven to 180°C / Fan 160°C. Sprinkle the top of the bread with the remaining pumpkin seeds. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Serve while still warm for maximum pleasure!