Basil, Chilli and Feta Pull-Apart Bread

Pull-apart bread /pʊl əˈpɑːt brɛd/ noun A bread made of flour, water and yeast which is mixed together, flattened, and topped with flavoured garnish, before being cut into squares and baked.

Ingredients:

Dough

• 600 g wholegrain bread flour, extra for kneading
• 1 packet (7g) yeast
• 410 mL luke warm water
• 5 g basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 red chilli, finely chopped

Filling

• 1 bunch basil leaves
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 red chilli
• 100 g Danish feta

Method:

1. Add the yeast, bread flour, finely chopped basil and chilli to a large bowl. Pour in the luke warm water. Using a fork mix until combined. Use your hands to form the mixture into a dough.
2. On a lightly floured bench, knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until well-combined (should be smooth and springy), adding flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with glad wrap. Place the bowl in a warm, dark environment (i.e., clothes fryer) for 45 minutes until it doubles in size.
4. In a food processor, blend together the basil, garlic cloves, chilli, and extra virgin olive oil of the filling ingredients.
5. Once the dough has risen, roll it into an 1/2 inch thick rectangle using a rolling pin. Evenly spread the basil paste over the dough and top with crumbled feta cheese. Cut the dough into 5 strips lengthways. Cut each strip into 5 squares. Stack the squares on top of each other and place into a lightly greased rectangular loaf tin. Cover with glad wrap and place in a warm, dark environment for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Cover the tin with aluminium foil to prevent over browning. Bake in the over for 35 minutes (removing the foil after 30 minutes).