SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO PULL-APART BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE DOUGH
2 tbsp of warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp Yeast
3 cups of Whole wheat White Bread flour ( nearly 425 gms)
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 cup milk (soya milk )
3/4 cup of water

FOR THE FILLING
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto as needed
( I used Home made Recipe here)
Cheddar Cheese

METHOD:
In a large bowl take yeast and 2 tbsp of warm water with tsp of sugar and leave it in a warm place for few minutes, you can notice bubbles forming up this shows that the yeast is active.
To this add all the other Ingredients said above under the Dough, mix them well, use a food processor or your hand and make it into a pliable dough, make it into a chappati dough consistency.
Once the dough is ready Knead the dough  for at least 10 minutes until it very pliable, smooth and soft, this helps in the gluten formation. Lightly oil the bowl and leave the dough covered for at least 1 and 1/2 hours or leave it until it is doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas Mark 5*
Oil a loaf tin 9 x 5 sprinkle some flour and tap it down so there is no extra flour on it or place a parchment paper in the tin
Once the dough is proven deflate the dough dust the kitchen work surface with flour, flatten the dough into a square as shown, which you can do in two ways
1. Apply the Sun dried Tomato pesto on to the flattened dough and some grated cheese on top of it and cut it into 6 lengthwise strips and lay them one on top of the other and cut them again into 6 pieces with a sharp knife or a scrapper. stack the pieces starting with the seam side and in the middle you can have both the ends of the strip put together will make it look nicer.
2. Or as I did once you have made it into a square, cut them into 6 equal parts, start with the first layer apply the sun dried Tomato pesto filling and cheese on top of it, place the next one do the filling and continue with the rest of the strips then cut them into 6 pieces and continue as said above for stacking and continue with the rest of the process.
Once stacked cover it again with a tea towel or with a cling film for an hour or until it rises, do not allow it to rise too much as the first time round.
Brush the top of the bread with milk and bake it in the middle rack for 35 to 45** minutes or until the top is golden brown in colour or check it with a skewer when it comes out clean.
Take it out of the oven and leave it on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, release the bread from the loaf tin immediately after 10 minutes*** and leave it directly on the wiring rack to cool down completely.
Pull apart the bread and enjoy with a cuppa
or slice the bread as I did topped them with some salad leaves, cucumbers and tomatoes grill them or just make a sandwich and send it for Lunch box.

NOTES
* As I have always said my oven temperature is very high so I bake them at Gas mark 3
** My bread got baked by 40 minutes
*** I remove my bread immediately after 10 minutes the bread will be still very warm because of this the bottom side becomes soggy if left in tin for a long time this is my experience so I always take it out and leave it on the the wiring rack this helps the bread cooling down without a soggy bottom, sometimes I turn out  the bread place it in the loaf pan again and bake it for 5 more minutes this makes my bread has a crusty bottom as well :)).
You can add Honey, Maple syrup, Jaggery instead of sugar too..

VEGAN VARIATION: 
1. You can use Vegan butter, Vegan cheese in place of the Vegetarian Cheeses.
2. You can otherwise omit the cheese itself
3. In place of milk you can use Oats milk, Almond milk, soya milk or Just plain water

If you ever try these variations leave a note here so I would be delighted to know how it turned out.

Stay tuned for more stuffing to come in a bread baking spree with Knead to bake, thanks a ton Aparna and all my foodie friends who are on this venture...

This bread is also yeast spotted.

The post Sun dried Tomato Pesto Pull apart Bread - We knead to bake # 1 appeared first on My Veg Fare.

PASTA, has become a part of our life these days, I prefer them than the ready made noodles, As I can cook it with loads of Ingredients and lots of vegetables.  You also get whole wheat Pasta which is really good, My kids have started liking them, Pasta is a staple food in Italy, which has become so popular all over the world, kids just love them.  When you are living abroad and if you are a vegetarian eating food in restaurants in limited and we always have pasta in our menu!,  My friends and family living here say that their children eat pasta more in nurseries / child minders, My sister's  daughter loves Indian food , but when you ask her what you want to eat she says can you make pasta ?,  My kids were not born here but they still like pasta, especially  twin daughter, I always have stock of them at home, they are made with whole wheat but you can also get whole meal brown pasta as well, which still is not her cup of tea.., I am still trying on that side... but I have not yet succeeded !!.
Pasta is basically eaten using sauces and pestos, It is so versatile you can change with whatever you prefer to eat.  This is one such pesto which is quite tasty .
I make different kind of pasta sauces and different types of pesto as well , I had to make this pesto again especially for this bread I baked.
Bread was so delicious and kids loved it.

SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Sun dried  chopped Tomatoes in oil ( minus the oil )
1/4 cup fresh Basil leaves
1 Fresh Red chilli
3 to 4 cloves of Garlic
7 to 8 Cashew nuts lightly toasted
1 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano ( optional )*
1/2 tsp Salt
4 tbsp of Olive oil

METHOD:
Take out Sun dried Tomatoes from oil, chop them into pieces for easy grinding and drain them on a paper for few minutes, until the time you get your other ingredients ready.
I have said 1/4 cup that is around 20 to 25 leaves Basil leaves
Remove the skin from the Garlic
Toast cashew lightly on a dry skillet for a few minutes this helps in releasing its oil and also helps for staying longer when stored.
Toast Chopped fresh Red chilli in a tsp of oil for a few seconds, this helps in removing the moisture in it.
Take all the above said Ingredients in a food processor / Mixer and blend them with Olive oil adjust salt and puree them together.
Now our Sun dried Tomato Pesto is ready to rock...

VARIATION:
* I have used just one tbsp of Parmigiano Reggiano as my kids are not very fond of this cheese you can add an other 2 tbsp of this cheese.
You can use Pine nuts which is authentic, Almonds, Brazil nuts, Macadamia nuts too..
You can use Green chilli than the Red chilli
You can omit Fresh chillies and use 1 tsp of Pepper corns.

USES:
You can use it in making pasta, breads, Noodles, Bruschetta, Bread Toast, Frittata, Tarts etc..,

The post Sun Dried Tomato Pesto - Home made appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, Hope you are all doing fine, enjoying the three days of pongal, I have loads of posts to post, starting you will be seeing two posts today..., Enjoy them...
Here is the first one, the first is for Baking Partners, this month swathi of Zesty south Indian kitchen gave us two pies one was an Apple Pie and the other one is Sun Dried Tomato Tart, Of course you would know which one I would choose, my kids love anything spicy than sweetness, and this Tart was perfect for me to bake, when my kids come home from college hungry and they love to eat something like this, I made 4 Tarts. Individually and they love it for their snack time.
This is how I made it...
This Tart was suggested by samantha, so, thanks to both of you we loved it..

SUN DRIED TOMATO AND ONION TART
Recipe Source: Martin Picard's Sundried Tomato and Onion Tart

INGREDIENTS:
1 Roll of Ready made Puff pastry
2 Medium Sized onions
6 tbsp of Sun dried Tomato Pesto (Home made)*
Chives and Onion flavoured Red Leister Cheese
few Basil leaves
1 tbsp dried Italian Herbs
salt to taste
1 and 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard powder
1 and 1/2 tbsp Double cream

METHOD:
Thaw Puff pastry as indicated in the pack
Take a Large Pan heat 2 tbsp of Olive oil to this add chopped onions and saute until it turns translucent, add a bit of salt which helps to cook quickly.
Then add Tomato pesto, dried Italian herbs some more salt ( required quantity beware you have already added some salt to the onions and also you have some salt in your pesto )
Add chopped some fresh Basil leaves
In a bowl mix mustard Powder and fresh cream and keep it aside
Meanwhile  Cut your Puff pastry into 4 squares, press them on to the tart tins and cut the extras and keep them aside in the fridge until needed.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 degrees
Prick the bottom of the pastry and bake them in a preheated oven until the bottom becomes slightly brown. Take them out and leave it to cool.
Meanwhile your onion and Tomato filling would be cooled as well.
Fill the tarts with Sun Dried Pesto and onion filling to this add the double cream sauce into the four tarts.
Grate the cheese and top each of them with it.
Now take the cut out pieces from each tart, make them into long roll twist them to give a design join both the ends together and place them on each of the tarts and bake them now for around 20 to 25 minutes until they puff and start turning to golden brown.

Take them out once well done, on to a cooling rack, after 5 to 10 minutes slowly push  the bottom and release the tarts carefully and serve them on individual plate sand serve with some salad leaves and sauce or ketchup of your choice.
Totally awesome and my kids just loved it...
Will post my Home made Sun dried Tomato pesto Recipe soon..., stay tuned ...

This is Challenge # 6 Baking Partners

The post Sun dried Tomatoes and Onion Tart appeared first on My Veg Fare.