This is perfect for picnics and superb with soups. Soft yielding bread with a crisp top filled with herby pesto and grated cheese. This is a deceptively simple recipe with few ingredients. The hardest part for me is having enough patience to allow the dough to rise. Yes you need to find a few hours to make them but hands on time is fairly low, 30 minutes or so. That leaves you with over two hours whilst this is doing it’s own thing. This Pesto Swirl Tear and Share is a recipe I hope will become a staple in your household as it is in mine.
This recipe is also a great jumping off point to experiment with different fillings. Just adding strips of thin cut Italian ham and sundried tomatoes makes this a great replacement for traditional sandwiches. Or you could do garlic butter and parsley with cheese, how about a cheese and pickle swirl. I would stick to savoury fillings with this dough. I have a glorious Lemon Curd Bun Recipe that could be made into a tear and share dish quite easily. That dough is ideal for sweet fillings.
There is something about placing a dish in the middle of the table and having everyone help themselves. It deeply satisfies the provider in me. This Pesto Swirl Tear and Share is always met with smiles and never lasts long. If your food is interactive I find that promotes an interactive meal. With people sharing food and thoughts as well as listening to each other. If everyone has everything on a plate in front of them then their focus is solely on that. That being said it should be within easy reach of everybody and so if you are catering for a large group I would place multiple dishes at points along the table to avoid the constant passing of plates.
A small note of the cheese you are going to use to fill this loaf. I picked up this tip and am happy to pass it on to you. When filling rolls that you are going to bake use ready grated cheese. You can find packets of ready grated cheese in supermarkets. The cheese in these packets has been coated with an anti caking agent stopping it sticking together; it is also much drier than freshly grated cheese. So use the ready grated cheese to avoid extra moisture seeping into the dough.
I use a jar of pesto for this tear and share. If you have a favourite one use that. You can of course use freshly made pesto. Saying that if you would like you can use my recipe for Avocado Pesto. Now this does not taste of avocado, the avocado replaces the oil and is packed with basil leaves.
Looking for more baking recipes? Check out these:
Sweet Potato & Bacon Waffles
Chinese Pork Buns
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Apple Tart with Cinnamon Caramel
Red Velvet Cake
I hope you love this Pesto Swirl Tear and Share as much as I do. If you try it out let me know how you get on in the comments below. Share your pictures with me on social media and use #CUBBintheKitchen to be featured in my stories.
Pesto Swirl Tear & Share
Ingredients
- 450 grams Strong White Bread Flour
- 7 grams Fast Action Yeast
- 1 tbsp Caster Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 300 ml Warm Water
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil (plus extra)
- 170 grams Pesto (Avocado Pesto Recipe)
- 50 grams Mozzarella (Ready Grated)
- 50 grams Cheddar Cheese (Ready Grated)
Instructions
- Make the Dough In the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with a dough hook) or a large bowl combine the Flour, Yeast, Sugar & Salt.Mix the dry ingredients and stream in the Warm Water and Olive Oil. Let it come together into a dough and then knead.If kneading by hand this will take approx 10 minutes if you are using a stand mixer it will take 6-7 on a medium-low speed.Once you have a smooth springy dough place in an oiled bowl and turn so it is slicked in oil and cover with a clean tea towel. Let it proof until doubled in size (1 hour at room temp but could take longer if it is particularly cold)
- Roll and ShapeOnce the dough has doubled in size knock the air out by pushing down in the centre.Tip on to a lightly floured surface and if it is sticky a little flour over the top of the dough.Roll out into a rectangle. You want this to be about 40cm x 30cm. Spread the Pesto over the dough and then cover with the grated Cheese.Take a long edge and roll up nice and tight.Cut into 12 equal portions and place into a baking tin. (Give them space to grow)Cover with a clean tea towel and let proof for a further 45 minutes.Preheat the ven to 180°C Fan
- Bake TimeBake the swirls for 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before attmpting to tear apart. (They keep their heat really well so can be served after cooling for up to 20 minutes and still be a pleasent temperature)
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