Pesto Star Bread
Soft, buttery dough layered with basil pesto and parmesan, twisted into a beautiful star shape. This crowd-pleasing pesto star bread is easier than it looks and makes a showstopping holiday appetizer.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups All purpose Flour, spooned & leveled (242 grams)
- ½ cup Instant mashed potato flakes (42 grams)
- 2 tablespoon Granulated sugar (27 grams)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Warm whole milk at 115-120 degrees F
- 1 packet Instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
Filling
- ½-¾ cup Pesto pre-made
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese grated or shredded
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix the flour, potato flakes, sugar and salt together. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water and yeast and stir to combine and activate the yeast and let it stand for 3 minutes to bloom. Add the flour mixture and butter. Using the dough hook, mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and soft, about 5-7 minutes. Place the dough into a light greased mixing bowl (use about ½ tablespoon vegetable oil), turn dough over so both sides are greased and cover to let it rise for 1 hour.
- On a flour dusted surface, divide the dough into 4 equal size balls. Roll 1 of the dough balls out to about a 10” round. The piece will seem thin. Carefully place this dough on a parchment lined baking sheet, then spread ⅓ of the pesto and top with ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese leaving about ¼” ring around the outside of the circle.
- Repeat with the second dough ball- roll out on a floured surface to about a 10” round and place on top of the first dough circle. Spread another ⅓ of the pesto onto the dough and top with ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese leaving about ¼” ring bare around the outside of the circle. Repeat this one more time with the third dough ball.
- Roll the last dough ball out to about 10” circle and place on top.
- Place a 3” round biscuit cutter (but do not down) in the center of the dough circle, which acts as a guide to make the star cuts. Using a sharp knife, make cuts through the layers to end with 16 total pieces for 8 twist pairs.
- Remove the biscuit guide and twist 2 dough strips in opposite directions. Twist 2-3 times then pinch the pairs together at the ends, using a bit of water to seal it together if needed. Repeat with the remaining strips until you get eight pairs. Cover loosely with plastic wrap while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl beat the egg. Brush the top of the star bread with the egg and bake for about 15 to 19 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes and serve. Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese, or serve with additional pesto or marinara.
Notes
- Dough should be smooth and soft, not stiff.
- Milk: Use warm milk (115–120°F) for best yeast activation. Warm the milk in the microwave, about 30-40 seconds, or on the stovetop. Using a digital thermometer, make sure to add it to your mixing bowl when it's slightly over 120 degrees F since the bowl will decrease the temperature of the water once added.
- Flour: Measure flour by weight or using the spoon-and-level method.
- Forming Tips: Spread pesto lightly to keep layers from slipping. Twist strips gently so the dough doesn’t tear. Pinch ends firmly to hold the star shape.
- Bake until golden brown; color is your best indicator.
- Serving: Best served warm, with marinara or seasoned dipping oil.
- Yeast: This recipe uses a fast action instant yeast, I like using Fleischmann’s RapidRise. If a standard style yeast is used, you may need to bloom the yeast first before making the dough to ensure a successful bread.
- Storage: Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and leave at a cool room temperature. If in a humid location, refrigerate. Star bread can be enjoyed up to 2 days after baking, but is best fresh out of the oven.
- Reheating: If leftovers are chilled, you can leave at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or warm through at 50% power or lower for 1 minute in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 608mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 631IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 2mg
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