Basil & Tomato Tear-And-Share Bread

Take a large mixing bowl and weigh out the flour, using a sieve, then stir the yeast, sugar and salt into the flour. Make a well in the flour mixture, then, measure out 300ml of hand-warm water and add 280ml of this to the flour, together with two tablespoons of olive oil. Use your hands to mix everything together to form a dough - if it seems too dry, gradually add the remaining water until you achieve the right consistency. Next, scatter a little flour on to your work surface, then tip the ball of dough on to the flour and knead for 10 minutes by hand, stretching and turning the dough until it feels soft and elastic (this can feel like a long time – we recommend listening to music or radio as you knead!). When the dough is ready, take a clean bowl and drizzle its insides with olive oil, then put the dough into the bowl and turn it over several times in the oil. Cover the bowl with clingfilm, then leave it in a warm place to double in size – sunny windows, airing cupboards and shelves near radiators are good spots. Depending on the temperature, you will need to leave the dough for 1-3 hours.

When the dough has risen, lightly grease a baking tray with olive oil. Take the clingfilm off the dough and push the dough down a couple of times with your hand, to knock out any air bubbles. Dust your work surface with more flour, then tip the dough on to it - if the dough feels sticky, dust the top with a little more flour. Roll the dough out into a rectangle of about 40cm x 30cm, then use a spatula to spread the pesto over the dough. Scatter the cheese and tomatoes on top of the pesto, and tear over the basil leaves. Next, working from one of the longer sides of your dough rectangle, roll it up to make a long sausage shape. Cut the sausage into 12 equal pieces, then put the pieces on the baking tray; leave a little space between each piece (they will get larger again while proving – you want them to end up just touching each other) and arrange them in a rectangle, three pieces wide by four pieces long. Ensure the outer ‘seam’ of each piece faces in towards the middle of the arrangement, to prevent unrolling during cooking. Cover the baking sheet loosely with clingfilm and return it to a warm place to prove for 30 minutes to an hour, until nearly doubled in size again. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (Gas Mark 6), then, when the dough is ready, remove the clingfilm and put the baking sheet on the centre shelf in the hot oven. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the tops are golden and the centre of rectangle is dry and not doughy. Let the cooked rolls cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.