Sunday, 5 June 2011

Pesto Swirl Bread



Ok.  I’ll admit it.  I’ve completely run out of ideas for packed lunches.  There is only so much cous cous, tuna sandwiches and pesto pasta a girl can take.  Time to shake it up?  Enter the swirl bread.  It’s jazzed up lunches for a couple of days at least!

Ingredients:-

500gr strong white bread flour
1tsp salt
1tsp sugar
15ml extra virgin olive oil
1 x 7gr sachet of easy blend yeast
Around 300ml-350ml warm water

3 to 4 tbsps of good jarred pesto
Couple of sundried tomatoes, chopped (optional)

Method

1, Sift the flour into a large bowl with the salt, sugar and yeast.
2, Add in the olive oil and about 200ml of the warm water and start to bring the dough together.  Add more water until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
3, Transfer on a lightly dusted worktop and knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and in no way sticky.
4, Stretch the dough out to form a rough rectangle with the long side the same length as your loaf tin.  (I just used my standard 1lb loaf tin)
5, Spread the pesto over the doughy rectangle and sprinkle the sundried tomatoes out evenly. 
6, Roll the whole thing up like a swiss roll and place into your lined or well greased loaf tin.
7, Put the loaf tin inside a large freezer bag and leave somewhere warm for an hour or two until doubled in size.
8, Preheat your oven to 230o/c, brush the top of the loaf with a little water, and bake for 15minutes and then turn down the temperature to 190o/c for the last 15-20minutes.  The bread should make a hollow sound when tapped on the base when it is cooked.
9, Turn out of the tin as soon as it is cooked and slice away to reveal that swirl. 



How do you guys make lunch interesting?  Come on, I’ve seen some of your beautiful bentos!

3 comments:

  1. It looks beautiful.
    I am far too lazy about my lunches. Part of it is that I only work two days a week so if I have ham sandwiches every single time, it's not that bad. And that is what I do really. Although last week, I went to make my sandwiches and found there was no bread left and virtually noting else in the ouse so I cobbled together some olives, cheese, crisps, an apple and a chocolate biscuit. Was a bit rubbish really.

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  2. Ooh the bread looks pretty :)

    For lunch I normally try and make extra at dinner, then adapt into lunch with salady stuff..

    A favourite one though is cold new potatoes with tuna, cucumber, lettuce, radish and salad cream dotted over, simple but delicious!

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  3. That is such a great idea! I too tend to lack inspiration when it comes to packed lunches- I usually start the week well and slump to a dull cream cheese sarnie by the end the week, my fail-safe choice. Great to hear new ideas- thank you from a newbie reader!

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