Name: Braided Green Pesto bread! recipe by Mallika Chaudhary at BetterButter
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh basil leaves; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tbsn toasted pine-nuts or cashew-nuts; 2 garlic cloves; 3 tbsn grated Parmesan cheese; 1 tbsn lemon juice; 1 cup plain flour(maida); 1/4 cup warm milk; 1 tsp quick active dry yeast; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp Salt; 1 tsp mixed Italian herb seasoning; 2 tsp melted butter; 2 tsp olive oil; 1 egg (optional but strongly recommended)

Instructions

Firstly, let us activate the yeast for the dough. In a large bowl, take luke-warm milk, dry yeast and sugar. Mix well and keep to rest for 10 mins. When you see a foamy layer on top of your mixture, that indicates that your yeast has activated well. To it, add your flour, salt, melted butter, Olive oil and Italian herb seasoning. Combine it into a soft dough.
Dust some flour on the kitchen platform and knead your dough very well for 8-9 minutes to activate the gluten in the dough. Knead into a smooth ball. Grease a bowl with oil and place your dough in it. Coat the dough well with some more oil and cover the top of the bowl tightly in a cling-wrap. Rest in the warm place for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare your pesto. In a food processor- add the basil leaves, nuts, lemon juice, garlic and the olive oil. Blend till you get a coarse mixture. Transfer the pesto mixture to the bowl and stir in the grated parmesan, along with salt and pepper. Your pesto is ready. Refrigerate.
After 2 hours, take the dough and gently punch it to release the air out. Knead for 3-4 minutes more and form into a smooth ball.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.
Roll the dough into a rectangular, thin base. Leaving a ½ inch border on all sides, spread your pesto evenly on your dough surface in a thin layer.
Start rolling the dough into a long tube, pinching the sides closed as you go along. It should resemble a long cylinder. Ensure that it is sealed well from all around.
Slice your dough into two halves, along the length of the tube. Braid the two halves, such that the green ends remain on top. Pinch both the ends well, so that the knots do not loosen up or come apart while baking.
Transfer to a greased loaf tin. Cover with cling film and set aside for 30 minutes for the dough to rise again.
In a bowl, break an egg and whisk it till fluffy. Set aside. After 30 mins, using a pastry brush, brush your egg wash on the surface of your bread. This will give your bread a beautiful glaze!
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack and slice. Enjoy with hot soup or as it is. Enjoy!

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