Ingredients
PIZZA DOUGH
2 1/2 cup flour
1 package dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup water - 120 to 130 degrees
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 egg wash
PESTO SAUCE
2 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup oil olive
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 large clove garlic or to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp salt
2 oz freshly grated imported parmesan ch, eese
1 oz freshly grated pecorino romano chee, se
Directions
For sauce: combine first 6 ingredients in processor or blender and
puree, stopping machine as necessary to scape down sides of
container. Pour into bowl. Stir in cheeses, cover and refrigerate.
Flavor is better if cheese are grated and added just before using.
For bread: Grease two 14 inch pizza pans or heavy baking sheets and
sprinkle with cornmeal. Oil large micing bowl and set aside. Pour
warm water into another large bowl. Add yeast and honey and stir
until dissolved. Let Mixture stand until formy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in oil and salt. Mix in flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead until
dough is smooth, shiney and elastic. Transfer to oiled bowl and let
double in size. Punch down and knead briefly. Let rest 5 minutes.
Shape into two pizza pies. Pinching up crusts to form a rim. Brush
twice with egg wash. Divide pesto between each crust. Let stand for
30 minutes. Preheat oven 400 degrees. Bake until crusts are golden
brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting
into wedges. For variation, arrange slices of fontina, bel paese,
mozzarella or provolone cheese over pesto sauce before baking.
Servings: 4 servings
Pesto Pizza Bread Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads; Italian; Pasta; Pizza
The History of Recipes
Experts have proved the existance of recipes way back into history, certainly as far into history as ancient Egypt, and maybe further still. Interesting though that is, in the main part, these ancient recipes were just primitive pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for food preparation.
Fascinatingly, the oldest recipe discovered, according to experts is a collection of ancient tablets in Sumerian which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who tried it feel `wonderful`. During the time of the Roman Empire a roman called Apicius compiled a collection of documents describing recipes cooked by wealthy roman citizens. In his scrolls, he recounts how the meals were divided into starters, main course and dessert, a style of dining still practiced today. Additionally, he recounts how the early Romans made use of a good variety of herbs and spices, including a few that will be familiar to modern cooks like bay, mint and parsley. In the fifteenth century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many spices and herbs from the holy lands, including parsley and basil. These new foods and tastes was responsible for a torrent in publications on food, many of which are kept safe in private collections. Over the following few hundred years, the upper-class families of the West competed with each other to lay on the most exotic meals, and consequentially the best cooks and their recipe collections became highly prized. However, it was during the nineteenth century that fine cookery and recipe collections reached a high level of popularity. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, dedicated years of their lives to collecting, verifying, and publishing recipes to allow everyone to enjoy them. By the arrival of the 20th century, cookery publications were in high demand, mostly due to better eduction, people having more leisure time and disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Pesto Pizza Bread recipe.
