You know the feeling when friends drop in unexpectedly and you hear yourself saying ‘you must stay for lunch/dinner’ all the while doing a frantic mental search of your fridge and thinking ‘what on earth can I serve’ ?
Well worry no more – with a few staples in your fridge and pantry you can rustle up this quick savoury bread in about 20 minutes. Throw a salad together while it’s cooking and Voilá! your friends will think you are a true Domestic God/Goddess
This recipe takes traditional Irish soda bread and transforms it into a focaccia/pizza cross. It may sound strange but so far the reaction has been very positive!
Try it and let me know what you think 🙂
Chorizo and Pesto Tear & Share Bread
What you need:
- cooking chorizo – sliced into discs (about 1/4 of a full chorizo sausage)
- 450g spelt flour (you can also use plain flour)
- 1tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. bread soda
- 340-400 ml buttermilk
- 2-3 tbsp. pesto
- Suggested toppings:
- sundried tomatoes
- roast peppers
- mozzarella balls
- grated cheese
- olives
What you do:
- Preheat oven to Fan 220ºC *
- Fry off your chorizo slices until crisp . Set aside and reserve the lovely spicy oil for drizzling over your bread.
- Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl, making sure that you sieve in the bread soda.
- Stir in a tbsp. of pesto. Then make a well in the centre and pour in most of the buttermilk at once. The exact amount of buttermilk can vary, even according to the weather!
- Stir in the liquid until completely mixed but be very careful not to overmix. You want a nice soft (but not too wet) dough.
- Roll out your dough on a sheet of baking parchment that fits your baking tray.
- Then go to town with your toppings – stick your crisp chorizo into the dough and add olives, tomatoes etc.
- Ready for the oven
- Bake in a hot oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Check that bread is done by tapping the bottom of the bread; if it is cooked it will sound hollow.
- Serve warm .
Your guests will be sure to stare at you in amazement (the way the Chief Taster does at me – though I’m not sure it’s always for my cooking!)
*If you have a Neff oven use Bread Baking 220 C with low added steam
Hey Pesto! 