Chessy Caprese Bread

Here’s another one for the “ehh, it turned out good, but it needs some tweaking” file. This could probably be split into two loaves. Inspired and adapted from http://smittenkitchen.com/2012/02/cheddar-beer-and-mustard-pull-apart-bread/

Ingredients:

Dough:

15 oz all purpose flour (divided)

4 oz (1 stick) butter

9 oz water

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temp

Pesto:

2 cups basil leaves

¼ cup pine nuts

1 clove garlic

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Scant ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Additional ingredients
1 ½ cups mozzarella, shredded

1 tomato, sliced thin

Instructions:

Melt the butter and add the water. Let cool until the mixture is between 110° and 116°F. In a mixer, add 8 ounces of the flour, along with the yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix it around a bit, then pour in the butter/water mixture and mix on low. Add the remaining 7 ounces of flour and mix until incorporated. Add the 2 eggs and mix until incorporated. Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead on low for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl that’s been sprayed with cooking spray, cover, and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Meanwhile for the pesto:

Add the chopped garlic and pine nuts to a food processor and whiz a few times.

Add the remaining ingredients and process until it’s the consistency you’re looking for. Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly:

Roll out the dough on a well floured surface into a 12”x20” rectangle.  Use a brush to coat the dough with pesto. Grab a pizza cutter and slice into strips. Stack the strips on top of each other, layering with mozzarella and tomatoes along the way. Once the strips are piled on top of each other, cut into squares and place into a greased bread pan or two (like I said earlier, you might be able to get 2 loaves out of this… I squeezed it all into 1). Cover loosely and let proof for 30 – 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the top starts to brown.