Pesto Bread

Ingredients

• Pesto
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves 
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 10-12 cashewnuts
• 2-3 tablespoons parmesan cheese powder + for sprinkling
• 4-5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil + for applying
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• Pesto mayo for serving
• Dough
• 1¼ teaspoons fresh yeast 
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1¼ cups refined flour (maida) + for dusting 
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for greasing

Method

1. Take yeast in a small bowl, add ¼ cup warm water and sugar mix well and set aside for 5 minutes to activate. 
2. To make the dough, put the refined flour in a food processor jar fitted with a hook attachment. Add whole wheat flour, salt, activated yeast and 1 cup water and process at medium speed till a soft dough is formed. 
3. Grease a large bowl with some oil, transfer the dough into this bowl, cover with a cling wrap and set aside to prove for 30-35 minutes.
4. To make pesto, put basil leaves into a blender jar. Add garlic, cashewnuts, parmesan cheese powder, extra virgin olive oil and salt and blend to a fine paste. 
5. Knock back the dough and knead it lightly. 
6. Dust the worktop with some refined flour and place the dough on it. Knead it lightly again and dust some more refined flour and press and spread the dough into a large disc. Put some pesto on the disc and spread it evenly all over. Roll the disc from one end to the other to make a long log. Trim the two ends, vertically slit the log in half and braid both the halves together.
7. Transfer the braided dough into a greased loaf tin and set aside to prove for 20-25 minutes. 
8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 200° C.
9. Sprinkle the chopped garlic over the dough, sprinkle parmesan cheese powder and drizzle some olive oil.
10. Place the loaf tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. 
11. Bring the loaf tin out of the oven and allow to cool.  Demould the bread, cut into slices, place them on a serving plate and serve with pesto mayo.