Pull Apart Cheesy Pesto Olive Bread

I've been hooked onto the Great British Baking Show recently, and I think I've watched three different bread weeks in the past week. I was surprised at how many different types of bread the bakers were making, and I took particular notice to the use of olives in bread. They seemed to provide a lovely flavor and a bit of texture into otherwise plain bread. I also love pesto and love cheese, so this pull apart cheesy pesto olive bread pulled itself together. I took a lot of the lessons from the Great British Baking Show to heart when making this one, so enjoy the product of my binge-watching!

Adapted from Wanderlust Kitchen and Tasty.

Ingredients

• 1 c warm water (microwave 20 seconds)

• 1 1/2 t instant yeast (use 2 t if old)

• 2 3/4 c all-purpose flour

• 1/2 t salt

• 1/2 t garlic powder

• 1/4 t thyme

• 1/4 t rosemary

• 1/4 t black pepper

• 4 t olive oil, split + extra

• 1/2 c olives (increase to 3/4 c if desired)

• 1 1/2 t pesto

• 1/4 c cheddar cheese, shredded

• Egg wash (optional)

Directions

1. Mix instant yeast with the warm water. Let it sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2. Mix together flour, salt, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper. Roughly mix in water and 2 t olive oil. Let sit for 15 minutes for the yeast to activate.

3. In the meantime, rinse and dry olives to remove excess brine. Roughly chop into small pieces.

4. Once the dough has sat for 15 minutes, mix in olives. Knead for 5 minutes.

5. Allow dough to rise in an olive oil coated bowl for 1 hour until doubled in size.

6. Gently pour the dough onto a floured surface. Coat the dough in flour so its easy to work with. Make sure to not overwork the dough to retain the air inside. Divide the dough into quarters and divide each quarter into fifths with a knife to create 20 even pieces total.

7. Prepare pesto by mixing it with 2 t olive oil. You might want to microwave the pesto for 10 seconds if it is right out of the refrigerator before mixing in the oil. Coat each dough ball in pesto and arrange on a 10-inch iron skillet. You can also use a smaller-diameter baking dish, as long as the dough fits as a sphere and has enough room to double in size.

8. Brush tops with egg wash (optional).

9. Bake at 375˚F (425˚F on my oven) for 10 minutes. Add the grated cheese. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Increase temperature to 450˚F (500˚F on my oven) for the last 5 minutes of the bake for the bread to brown at the top.