Basil Pesto Star Bread

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The absolute best savory Basil Pesto Star Bread for the holiday season! Made with a super simple enriched dough, layered with homemade basil pesto, and baked to golden perfection. This tear and share is the perfect bread to make for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even New Years! Every bite is soft, fluffy, full of flavor, and has just the right amount of pesto. It really doesn’t get any better than this! So. GOOD.

About The Recipe

Honestly, there is nothing better than a cozy pull-apart bread to enjoy during the holidays! Especially when it’s one THIS easy. All you need to do is make the dough, let it proof, roll it out, layer it, cut and twist, and bake! It sounds like quite a bit, but I promise it’s pretty simple and SO worth it!

The best part? This bread works as an appetizer, snack, or even side dish for the holidays. However or whenever you serve it, I promise this star bread will be the star of the show!

My mom and I have been wanting to make this star bread for almost a year now. We came up with the idea around Christmas/New Years last year, but we were so busy that we just didn’t have the time to develop and test the recipe!

Well, we got a head start this year and got to work early on this bread. Would you believe me if I told you we were testing this bread back in early September? Yes, you read that right! September!

It took us quite a while to finally tweak the bread to be what we wanted it to be.

Our first attempt was a pizza dough, as we figured that was gonna be the easiest…well, it was easy, but the loaf turned out crunchy and a piece had to be cut away from the bread, rather than tearing.

That’s not what we were looking for at all!

So, we went back to the drawing board.

Every attempt we tried seemed to give us the same results. Crunchy exterior, soft inside, but needed to really be cut away from the loaf rather than torn…that is, until we tried this!

We basically took our pizza dough recipe and turned it into an enriched bread (added eggs and buttermilk!). This worked perfectly the first time! The bread was soft, even after baking, rose well, and browned evenly.

We couldn’t be happier! So, after a month of testing, we are finally here with the best EVER basil pesto star bread for your holiday celebrations.

What is Star Bread?

Star bread is typically a sweet bread made from an enriched sweet dough, filled with anything from cinnamon to chocolate. Then, it is cut and shaped to resemble a star. Each piece of the star should tear away from the bread and be soft, pillow-y, and flavorful. Our take is a savory pesto filled tear-and-share for the holidays!

Reasons You Will Love This Basil Pesto Star Bread

• Herby, cheesy, and SO. GOOD.
• Tears away easily.
• Perfect to serve as an appetizer, snack, or alongside dinner.
• Oh so impressive and really fun to make!
• Simply gorgeous to look at.
• Crowd pleasing!

Equipment Needed

• Stand Mixer
• Dough Rising Bucket
• Bench Knife
• Rolling Pin
• Sheet Pan or Insulated Cookie Sheet
• Ruber Spatula
• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• Pastry Brush

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Bread:

• All-Purpose Flour – has just the right amount of protein for this bread. It adds strength to the dough by absorbing moisture and forming gluten.
• Instant Yeast – is the leavening agent. It does not need to be rehydrated before using, therefore it can be added with the dry ingredients.
• Kosher Salt – dissolves easier than table salt. It helps the bread hold its shape and improves the texture.
• Diastatic Malt Powder – feeds the yeast and helps with browning.
• Water – just plain old H2O is all that’s needed to help develop the protein in the flour.
• Olive Oil – adds fat, flavor, and helps with browning.
• Large Eggs –  are a binder and also add moisture and structure.
• Buttermilk – lends flavor and tenderness to the bread.
• Basil Pesto – at its most basic is a blend of basil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil. It is used as the filling of this bread.

For The Egg Wash:

• Large Egg
• Water

How To Make Basil Pesto Star Bread

Step 1: Make the dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, yeast, salt, and malt powder. Mix on low speed until well combined.

Add water, olive oil, eggs, and buttermilk. Mix on low speed until ingredients are combined, about 1-2 minutes. Increase speed to high. Knead until dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, about 10-12 minutes.

Step 2: Prove

Place in a covered container that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 – 1 ½ hours.

Step 3: Divide

Punch dough down and turn out on lightly floured surface.

Divide dough into fourths and round each piece of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Roll out

Working with one piece of dough at a time, remove from refrigerator. Place on a piece of parchment and roll into a 12 inch circle.

Spread ¼ cup pesto over top, leaving a ½ inch border around outside edge. Set aside.

Roll out the next piece of dough and place it on top of pesto layer. Repeat the steps above until no more dough remains.

Step 5: Cut and shape

Place a glass with a 2½”-3″ mouth in center of dough. Cut dough in equal quarters starting at glass and working to edge of dough. Cut each fourth in half, following the same technique. Then, cut each piece in half again and remove the glass.

Gently lift 2 side-by-side pieces of dough. Twist twice outwards. Pinch ends together. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Step 6: Make egg wash

Whisk together egg and water.

Step 7: Bake

When oven is hot, slide dough onto a flat pan. Brush top and sides of dough with egg wash.

Place in oven and bake 35-40 minutes.

Star Bread FAQ’s

What To Serve with Basil Pesto Star Bread

The wonderful thing about this bread is that it goes with almost anything! Here is a quick list of our favorite recipes for the holidays.

• Brined Turkey Breast
• Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
• Shoepeg Corn and Green Bean Casserole
• Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Buttery Mashed Potatoes
• Fall Harvest Salad
• Roasted Garlic and Thyme Sweet Potato Stacks
• Butternut Squash Risotto

How To Store

Once the bread is cooled, you can store the leftovers in a zip top bag and keep in the fridge for 4-7 days. You can also freeze this bread for up to 2 months!

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like: Goat Cheese Stuffed Pretzels, Puff Pastry Wrapped Brie, Pull-Apart Pepperoni Pizza Bread, Holiday Charcuterie Board

Expert Tips

• Check your yeast and make sure it’s in date and active.
• A properly kneaded dough should be smooth and clean the bowl. If you have an instant read thermometer, it will read about 70 degrees F.
• Proofing times will vary depending on room temperature! The warmer the space, the faster the dough will rise.
• If the rolled out dough starts to proof while you’re rolling out your next piece, place it on a pan and cover it with plastic wrap. Then, place it in the fridge while you work.
• When layering the dough, if you notice any pieces are significantly larger than others, you can trim the excess dough away with a pair of scissors. You want the dough circles all to be as close in size as possible!
• Do NOT take the pesto all the way to the edge of the dough. You will need a small edge to be able to pinch the ends together.
• Try and get the glass as close to the center of the dough as you can! This will help keep your cuts even.
• When cutting, use a sharp knife to make your cuts. If your knife isn’t sharp enough, it will not cut the dough well and may squish out the pesto.
• Work with only two pieces of dough at a time when shaping!
• Be sure to twist the two dough pieces in OPPOSITE directions. Do not twist inwards.
• Pinch the ends together tightly! Though, you may need to re-pinch the dough before baking.
• Do not skip the egg wash!
• Let the bread cool before serving.

When you make these Basil Pesto Star Bread, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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