Pesto Bread

 

I'm a bread gal. As I've said before, I've never met a carb I didn't like and I love love love bread! I decided to expand my horizons and entered a new category at the State Fair this year - Herb Bread. This is the recipe I created for my entry... and it's the perfect bread for an awesome grilled cheese sandwich.

Pesto Bread

4 cups bread flour

1 package RapidRise yeast

4 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup mashed potatoes

4 tablespoons jarred pesto (I used Rana)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

margarine to brush on top

 

Combine bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and stir together. Heat water and milk together to 120-130 degrees. Add mashed potatoes, pesto, water, milk, and egg to dry ingredients and stir until well blended. Knead for 4-5 minutes until a soft dough forms.

 

Place dough in a greased bowl; cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

 

Turn dough out of bowl and divide into 2 pieces. Shape into 2 loaf pans. Allow to rise again until doubled.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 35 minutes. You can cover the bread with foil after 20 minutes to prevent tops from over browning.

 

Remove from oven and turn out on racks to cool. Brush tops with margarine while still warm.

 

 

 

It took me three tries to get this recipe just the way I wanted. This is the loaf I didn't turn in on Sunday. It's sister loaf went to the Fair. This one was browner and had a big bubble on the top that then deflated. It's sister was paler but flatter. I thought this was the prettier shaped loaf but the bubble worried me so I kept it to eat. Decisions decisions. I'll find out Friday how I did.