Pink Swirled Bulgarian Butter Bread
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 40 minutes plus resting time
Baking time: 30 minutes
- 500g/1.1lbs. bread flour
- 100g/3.5ozs. butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant dried yeast
- 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pesto (I used a beetroot pesto, recipe follows)
- 30g/1oz butter, melted
- 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water
Step 1 - Mix the flour, butter, eggs, sugar and yeast in an electric mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook. Add the water and mix until you get a dough and knead until elastic - about 5 minutes using the machine or around 8 minutes by hand.
Step 2 - Place in a large bowl and cover with cling film. Place in a warm, draught free area to rise for 1 hour or so.
Step 3 - Grease a 20cm/8inch springform tin on the base and sides and preheat oven to 200C/400F. Punch down and knead in salt. Roll into a ball and cut into quarters. Then take one ball and cut that into quarters. Roll each quarter into a ball and roll into a circle. Brush each circle with butter and then spread with the pesto. Pile four quarters on top of each other. Repeat with the remaining three balls of dough cutting each into quarters.
Step 4 - You should have four piles of four circles spread with butter and pesto. Roll them into a log. Cut each log into four triangles. Place these in the tin - you can position some cut side up or whatever you like. Brush with egg yolk mixture. Bake for 25 minutes.
Beetroot Pesto
- 100g/3.5ozs toasted almonds*
- 25g/1oz. toasted sesame seeds*
- 150g/5ozs. roasted beetroot
- 100g/3.5ozs. feta cheese, crumbled (plus a little of the oil from the jar)
*To toast nuts and seeds, place on a baking tray and roast ijn a 180C/350F oven. 5 minutes for sesame seeds and around 10 minutes for almonds.
Step 1 - Process all ingredients together until it becomes a spreadable paste or dip. Add oil if necessary.