Our food habits have changed so much after we had kids. V and I grew up eating rice for lunch and dinner. But when Ishaan turned one, he preferred chapatis over rice. So I started making chapatis regularly. But we still had rice every day. Now after Ayaan was born, I had to come up with dishes that did not take a lot of manual work. We have started eating more salads, burgers (homemade, healthy ones), pastas, grilled fish/chicken etc, anything that saves me time. Sometimes dinner is ready in less than 30mins. There are two days a week when Ishaan does not have any classes in the evening when I can make chapatis or spend a little more time in kitchen. While trying to come up with more easy recipes, I realized making bread was actually much easier compared to making chapatis. Most of the hard work is done by my KitchenAid stand mixer. I just have to shape it and bake in oven. So I am making sure atleast one day of the week we eat pizza or bread. That is how it started and now I am totally into bread making!. My latest creation was this pesto filled flower shaped savory decorative bread.
From last few months, I was noticing amazing breads baked by Finla and Aparna. I finally asked Finla about these breads and she pointed me to the FB group We Knead to Bake started by Aparna. Here the members bake one bread every month, Aparna posts the recipe every month and everyone bakes it and posts it on a set date. It was just the thing I was looking for. I requested to join the group and Aparna was very kind to accept it. This month the members were asked to bake a savory decorative bread. I googled for ideas and this nutella bread caught my attention. It looked so beautiful and easy to make. I used store bought basil pesto instead of nutella because my child loves basil pesto.
Pesto Filled Bread - Savory Decorative Bread
Ingredients
For bread
- 2 and 1/2 cups wheat flour atta
- 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups water
- 1 packet 2 and 1/4 tea spns active dry yeast
- 1 tea spn honey
- 2 tea spns olive oil
- Salt
For Stuffing
- Butter
- 1/2 cup basil pesto or any strong flavored chutney
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese optional
- Cherry tomatoes optional
Instructions
- Microwave water for about 20 secs (or just heat it up till it is lukewarm).
- Add honey and active dry yeast and keep it aside for about 10mins till the yeast activates (the mixture becomes frothy).
- Add salt, olive oil and wheat flour. Mix till all the wet ingredients are incorporated into flour.
- Now add all purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time till it forms a uniform and non sticky dough.
- Take a tea spn oil in a bowl, keep the dough and swirl it around to coat the dough.
- Cover with a damp towel and keep it aside for around 1 hr till dough is doubled in volume.
- Punch down the dough and cover it back.
- After around 1 hr, it would have doubled again.
- Punch it down and knead it to make a smooth ball.
- Preheat the oven at 350F.
- Cut into two equal parts. Save one for later.
- Make 6 equal balls from one half. Roll each ball into a 8-9" disc.
- Take one disc, spread pesto and mozzarella cheese on pesto.
- Keep the next disc on top. Spread pesto and mozzarella cheese on top.
- Repeat till all discs are done.
- Cut and decorate as shown in pictures (or refer video).
- Mark a round in the center. A glass can be used to do this.
- Then with a sharp knife, make 16 cuts from the circumference of the circle to the edge like shown in picture.
- Carefully lift two adjacent pieces and twist them in opposite direction. Then stick the ends together.
- Top with cherry tomatoes.
- Cover the bread with damp towel and leave it aside to rise for another 45mins.
- Brush with butter or eggwash (eggwhite + little water) and bake at 350F for about 30mins or till bread is baked through.
Shilpa, bread looks amazing.Looks so perfect… A must try one!!! How do you store home made bread? Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks Gowri, honestly, I have never tried storing bread. We usually finish it as soon as it is out of oven :). Fresh warm bread tastes great. But if a little bit remains, I wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. We finish it next day. But I do store dough before baking. I freeze it.
This looks sensational. Since I recently bought a kitchen weighing scale, if you know, could you tell me how many gms makes one cup?
Here is a very good chart for conversion.
WOW!!!! This looks soo amazing…..I haven’t had much success with bread making
Too good. Looks very professional.
Very attractive looking.
Hi Shilpa,
The bread looks fantastic! Great recipe.
I had a question relating to an older post where you mentioned veggie patties hat you bake instead of fry – could you please post the recipe when you get a chance? Thanks!! I was hoping to make it as a take away for a friend.
Thanks again,
Shruti
Shruti, will do it soon. Totally forgot about that
Thanks, Shilpa!! Really appreciate it! 🙂
How much Salt?
About 1 tea spn
Shilpa, hello after a long time!
Just the other day I made a lot of pesto with our homegrown basil — thinking what to do with it besides the everyday pasta. Now here you are with this amazing creation — it looks so tempting and flaky — like some kind of wildly adventurous paratha with an Italian twist. Wow!! This is what I am going to do with extra pesto. I have one question — I have no atta — do you think I can get away with whole wheat flour from the grocery store? Indian store is hours away from me, now 🙁
All the best as always,
Linda
Linda, so happy to see you here. How have you been? Yes, whole wheat flour should be perfectly fine
Well explained
Love you, dear! As always you are amazing! Bread looks so yummy! I am finding it difficult to cook with a toddler and everyday it is the same rice & sambar. It’s been a long time ever since I prepared good homemade food. Can you please make a category of the dishes which take less time which is also good for the baby.
Beautiful! What a great idea to use tomatoes! There is a similar preparation in Spain called the coca and I did a Coca Menu at my supper club (www.papaserra.com) last month and it was a hit. But this preparation is great – i’m going to start making bread again because of you!
Delicious!
Fabulous job
The cardmom cake is not accepting any comments……but let me tell you that I am impressed with the icing ( though I came to see the eggless cake) . Visited this page after quite some time. Much has happened in your life it seems. best of luck in your cooking endeavours.
So I didn’t see what had to be done with the other half of the dough see “11 Cut into two equal parts. Save one for later.”
Any suggestions ?
You can use it as a pizza base or make breadsticks with it.
I made this bread and it was as tasty and stunning as the description. I would like to make it for a family gathering, but it takes quite a long time. Can I make it and freeze the bread before baking it and then bake it on our family day?
Hello. I have made the bread and it came out just as the picture. I Like to prepare as many dishes as possible when I expect week-end guests. Can I freeze the bread after it has been `made up`? Then I can just defrost the bread, let it rise and bake as usual.
I have tried baking it and then freezing. I have not tried freezing the proofed dough.
Brilliant design. Very creative of you. Did one at home.
Brilliant design. Very creative of you.