Pesto Babka

 

My second bake off the weekend is my signature flavoured loaf. This one is a savoury version of the traditional eastern European babka but with pesto rather than chocolate as the filling. The challenge here is to ensure you don't make the dough too sticky as it will otherwise be very messy to twist up. If you're not a fan of pesto, you could change this up by using sun-dried tomato paste instead. 

Recipe - Makes a 2lb loaf: 

• 350g strong white bread flour
• 7g fast action dried yeast
• 5g salt
• 200ml water
• 60g green pesto

Put the flour in a bowl and tip the yeast to one side and salt to the other. Slowly add the water until a soft dough is formed. Turn onto a work surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl, cover with a tea towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. 

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a large rectangle approximately 40cm long by 25cm high. Spread the pesto over the top then roll up tightly like a swiss roll, pressing well to seal. Use a lightly floured sharp knife to slice through the centre of the coil to expose the filling, leaving one end attached. Turn each piece so the filling is to the outside and twist together. Cut through the attached end, twist, then carefully lift the whole thing into a 2lb loaf tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 45 minutes, or until the dough springs back slowly when pressed.  

Bake at 200C for 20-25 minutes, or until brown. Remove, leave in the tin for a few minutes to cool.