Make this delicious sundried tomato, basil pesto and gooey cheese wreath!
Serves 6
Total time 1 hr and 35 min
Ingredients
Cake flour 2 1⁄2 cups
Yeast 1 sachet
Salt 1 tsp
Sugar 1 tbsp
Lukewarm water 1 1⁄2 cups
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Basil pesto 1⁄2 cup
Sundried tomatoes, chopped 1⁄2 cup
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
For serving
Brie or Camembert 1 wheel
Fresh basil leaves or micro herbs
Honey for drizzling
Method
- Combine the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add 2/3 of the water and olive oil and combine using a wooden spoon to form a dough. Add more water if needed. The dough should be soft, but not wet and sticky.
- Knead dough for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place into an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise for 45 minutes to an hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C.
- Knock down the dough before rolling it out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a large rectangle, about 5mm thick.
- Generously coat the dough with basil pesto and evenly scatter with sundried tomatoes. Season well.
- Gently roll into a log shape along the length of the dough.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half along the middle to get two long strips.
- Take the ends of each strip and braid them together.
- Shape the plait into a circle and twist the ends together to secure.
- Place the wreath onto a greased and lined baking tray and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Set aside to cool.
- Place the Brie or Camembert wheel onto a baking tray and bake for about 5-8 minutes or until soft (the centre should be slightly gooey).
- Place the bread wreath onto a serving platter and nestle the cheese wheel in the centre. Garnish with fresh herbs and drizzle with honey if you like. Serve immediately.
Top tip
Short on time? Store-bought dough works just as well and shaves an hour off the prep time (don’t worry, our lips are sealed).
Make it yourself
Basil pesto
Simply blitz together a handful of your favourite herbs (basil, parsley and coriander work well) and add freshly crushed garlic, lemon juice, Parmesan, nuts (pine nuts, almonds and walnuts are great) and a generous helping of olive oil. Season to taste.
