Ingredients
- For the pesto:
- 30g fresh basil
- 20g fresh parsley
- 30g grated Parmesan
- 2tbs toasted pine nuts
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4tbs olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Part 1 of dough:
- 14g dried yeast
- 90ml lukewarm water
- 10g sugar
- 110g strong flour
- Part 2 of the dough:
- 240g lukewarm water
- 110g olive oil
- 20g sugar
- 10g salt
- 430g strong flour
- 250ml quality olive oil to coat
- To finish:
- Basil pesto
- 200ml water
- 10g fine sea salt
- Start by making the pesto. Add the basil, flat parsley, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil to a blender. Season with salt and black pepper, blend until quite smooth, then set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
- Set up a mixer and add all the ingredients from part 1. Mix with the dough hook attachment at a medium speed for five minutes. Leave the dough in the bowl it was mixed in and cover with a wet towel. Leave in a warm place to double in size.
- Once the dough has doubled, add the ingredients from part 2 into the bowl and mix for a further 10 minutes with the dough hook at a high speed until the dough has cleaned the bowl.
- At this point, get your baking tray ready. Use a metal rectangular tray and fill it with the 250ml of olive oil.
- Pour the dough into the tray and roll it in the olive oil. Use your fingers to flatten the dough and fill all the corners of the tray. Cover again with the wet cloth and leave in a warm place to double in size: this takes about 45 minutes. You’ll know the dough is ready when it is smooth and slightly domed in shape. At this point it’s nearly ready for the oven. Spoon the pesto on top of the dough and spread it all over the top of the dough evenly with the back of a spoon.
- Whisk the 10g fine sea salt into the water. Use your fingertip to punch holes in the dough, right to the base of the tray. They should be punched all across the dough. Pour the water across the dough so it fills the holes. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 200 degrees until dark brown and crispy.
