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Hi guys! So, it’s that time of year again. Garden harvest time. This month, I’m gonna give you a few different recipes to use up all those summer veggie, fruits and herbs that have come in. This week I am sharing a bright and fresh focaccia with basil pesto recipe.
Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe Or Store Bought
So I have a confession. I don’t have a garden. I can’t keep a plant alive to save my life. So I elected to use a store-bought basil pesto. But I know that when basil comes in, you have an over abundance of it and a bright and fresh basil pesto recipe is the perfect thing to make to use it up.
One of the things that make making pesto a lot easier is a food processor. It’s helpful to have one with an opening so that you can drizzle in your olive oil while it’s mixing. For this recipe, you want a pesto that is on the thicker side. I know that some people like their pesto to be a bit looser but if it is too leaky, it will just seep into the bread, rather than sit on top and we don’t want that.
I Almost Ruined This Entire Recipe And Here’s How
If you have been here for a while you will know that my nemesis when making bread is the yeast. I either make the water too cold and it doesn’t activate or too hot and it kills the yeast. This was a time when I didn’t take my own advice from the bread 101 post and I did not check the temperature of the water with a thermometer before I sprinkled the yeast in. So, after about 2 minutes. I saw and smelled no activation.
My heart sank, not only because I had to start over, but because that was my last packet of yeast. So I decided to take some hot water and pour that into that water that was too cold in hopes that the two would mix and it would warm the water up to the perfect temperature for activation. So I put it in, crossed my fingers and waited: nothing, nothing,nothing, then suddenly
SUCCESS!!!! That is the sweet sight of activation folks!
How I Made a Focaccia Bread With Pesto Sauce Recipe
I have said this before but I’ll say it again. If you have never made bread before start with focaccia. I am also using the same focaccia recipe that I have used before on this blog. It is so easy! You don’t need any fancy equipment. Just a silicone spatula, a mixing bowl with a lid and a kitchen scale.
The reason that you need a bowl with a lid or some way to cover the dough is because you don’t want the dough to dry out as it rests. That can effect the bread rising and also the look of the final product. A lot of people just drape a towel over the bowl and that’s fine but that method has never worked for me for whatever reason and the dough always dries out a little on top. So I always like to use something that I can close. A bread container works great too.
This bread doesn’t even need to be kneaded in the traditional way. All you need to do is give this dough a series of folds at each side of the dough. (envision the dough like a square). Just stretch the dough as far as it will go without breaking and fold it onto itself. Let it rest for 30 minutes in-between each set of folds. Do this 4 times. You will not be able to stretch the dough up very far at first. These stretches are to develop the gluten just like traditional kneading does, so as you go it will get stretchier.
After the folds, just transfer this to your baking pan and allow it to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. And it’s important to note that most people think that “or until…” means that it would take the amount of time it says or more but “until ….” means until you see this. That could mean less time. For example, mine took only 30 minutes to double in size this time. Last time I made this recipe it took an hour. It just depends.
Then comes the basil pesto. Just gently scatter dollops on top of the dough and then with your fingers in a claw formation, you’re going to just make dimples in the bread before putting it in a 400• oven for 25 minutes.
And that’s it! That’s how I made a focaccia with a basil pesto recipe. Come back next week to see another recipe to use up things that you have harvested from your summer garden. Leave me a comment for any questions that you might have or any suggestions for anything you want to see next. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, pinterest , twitter and snapchat to see what I’m up to next. Remember, don’t be afraid to “bake” a mess. And I’ll see you next time.
Focaccia with Basil Pesto Recipe
A dimpled olive oil bread with a crunchy extrerior and a fluffy moist inside baked with a garlicy and fresh pesto topping.
Ingredients
- 542g of AP Flour
- 365 g of Warm Water
- 1 Packet of Yeast
- 1 Teaspoon of Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
- 1/4 Cup of Homemade or Store Bought Pesto
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by combining the yeast, water and sugar in a large bowl. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to activate. You'll know it's ready when it starts to foam up and smell like bread.
- When that happens add the flour and salt.
- Mix until all combined into a shaggy, messy dough.
- Add The olive oil.
- Form into a ball and leave covered at room temperture to set for 20 minutes.
- Pick up one side of the dough and stretch it as high as it will go without breaking and fold it over itself. Do this to each corner of the dough.
- Do this 4 times, leaving it to set for 30 minutes between each set of folds.
- Generiously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with olive oil. Press the dough into it all the way to the corners. If it is too difficult to spread the dough to the corrner, just let it set for 10 minutes and it will loosen up.
- Put it in the oven that is turned off with the light turned on. Leave to proof until doubled in size. This should take about 1 hour.
- Pour the pesto onto the dough and spread it out to the edges.
- With your hands in a claw formation, press your fingers into the dough to create dimple but still be careful that you aren't deflating too much air.
- Bake in a 400" oven for 25 minutes.
If you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below, message me on instagram, facebook or leave me an email.