Description
This Pesto Star Bread is a beautifully layered, aromatic bread filled with vibrant pesto and Parmesan cheese, twisted into an elegant star shape. Perfect for serving as an appetizer or alongside meals, it features a soft, flavorful dough enriched with potato flakes for extra tenderness and a golden, glossy finish from an egg wash.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 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 to ¾ cup Pesto pre-made
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese grated or shredded
Topping
- 1 Egg for egg wash
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, potato flakes, sugar, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
- Bloom yeast and make dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm milk and instant yeast, stirring to activate the yeast. Let sit for 3 minutes. Then add the flour mixture and room temperature butter. Using the dough hook, mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft.
- First rise. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl (using about ½ tablespoon vegetable oil), turning the dough so all sides are greased. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Prepare dough rounds. On a floured surface, divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Roll out one ball into a 10-inch round and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread ⅓ of the pesto evenly, then sprinkle ¼ cup Parmesan cheese over the top, leaving a ¼-inch border around the edges.
- Layer dough and filling. Repeat rolling and layering the next two dough balls with pesto and Parmesan in the same manner, placing each on top of the previous layer. Finally, roll out the last ball to a 10-inch circle and layer on top without any filling.
- Cut the star shape. Place a 3-inch round biscuit cutter in the center as a guide (do not press down). Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 strips, stopping at the edge of the center guide to form 8 pairs of strips.
- Twist the strips. Remove the biscuit cutter and twist each pair of dough strips in opposite directions 2-3 times. Pinch the ends together firmly, using a bit of water if necessary to seal. Repeat for all pairs to create the star shape.
- Second rise and preheat oven. Cover the star bread loosely with plastic wrap and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Apply egg wash and bake. Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush it gently over the entire top of the star bread. Bake for 15 to 19 minutes until the bread is golden brown.
- Cool and serve. Allow the bread to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Optionally, sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan on top and serve warm with additional pesto or marinara sauce.
Notes
- Dough should feel smooth and soft rather than stiff for the best texture.
- Warm the milk to 115-120°F to activate the yeast properly; use a digital thermometer for accuracy.
- Measure flour by weight or use the spoon-and-level method to avoid dense dough.
- Spread pesto lightly to prevent the layers from slipping when twisting.
- Twist strips gently to avoid tearing the dough and pinch ends firmly to hold the star shape.
- Bake until golden brown; color is the best indicator of doneness.
- Serve best warm with marinara sauce or a seasoned dipping oil.
- Use fast action instant yeast like Fleischmann’s RapidRise for best results; if using regular yeast, bloom it beforehand.
- Wrap leftovers tightly and store at cool room temperature or refrigerate in humid climates; best eaten within 2 days.
- To reheat chilled leftovers, bring to room temperature for 20 minutes or warm at 50% power for 1 minute in the microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
