Pesto Focaccia Bread
Homemade focaccia bread topped off with a flavorful basil-pesto sauce. A perfect addition to any dinner plans!
Servings: 12 plus
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 C white whole wheat flour*
- 2 1/2 C all purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast**
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 C warm water
- 5 Tbsp olive oil divided
Pesto:
- 2 C fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 C Parmesan cheese
- 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, with dough hook attachment in place, add flour, yeast, salt and sugar. With mixer running on low, slowly add warm water (heated to 115°F) and 3 Tbsp olive oil. Increase mixer speed, mixing until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer dough to a lightly greased 13x9-inch pan. Press dough into all corners, cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes in a warm location.
- Meanwhile, prepare pesto sauce. In a food processor, blend basil leaves with garlic cloves and cheese. Slowly add 3-4 Tbsp olive oil. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Grease the round end of a wooden spoon and poke holes throughout dough. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Spread pesto sauce over entire surface. Store any remaining pesto sauce for future use (see note below).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow bread to cool before slicing. Store in an airtight container for up to several days.
Notes
Recipe serves roughly 12-16, yields 1: 13x9-inch loaf
*All purpose flour may be used in place of the white whole wheat flour
**Rapid rise or instant yeast must be used, not active dry yeast.
***Freeze any remaining pesto sauce in ice cube trays for future use, or store chilled and use within one week.
An original recipe from Baked by Rachel