Mozzarella And Pesto Twists Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°., Unfold puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Roll each sheet into a 12-in. square. Spread pesto onto 1 pastry sheet to within 1/4 in. of edges. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with remaining pastry, pressing lightly. Cut into twelve 1-in.-wide strips. Twist each strip 4 times. Place 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, pressing down ends., Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F (180°C).
• Roll out a sheet of puff pastry and spread the pesto evenly over it, leaving a small amount of room at the edges. Sprinkle over the mozzarella and place another sheet of puff pastry on top, making a sandwich.
• Cut into thin strips with a sharp knife. Grab both ends of each strip, press down firmly to seal the edges and twist.
• Transfer onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, and brush with beaten egg. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the parmesan.
• Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment (or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon), combine the water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand 5 minutes until foamy. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, salt and olive oil, and mix until combined. Increase speed to medium and mix until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• While the dough rises, prepare the tomatoes: Heat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange tomatoes cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, scatter with garlic and season generously with salt. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tomato skins are wrinkly. Let cool slightly, then use your fingers to pull the skins off each tomato. (Count the number of tomato pieces now, then you'll have an easier time dividing them among the 6 calzones.) Discard skins, then transfer tomatoes and garlic to a strainer set over a bowl. (You won't need the accumulated juices for this recipe, but save them - you can whisk them with a bit more olive oil and vinegar for a vinaigrette.)
• Gently punch down the dough and transfer to a not-floured work surface. Divide into 6 pieces, each about 4 1/4 ounces/120 grams. Working with one piece of dough at a time, cup the dough ball on a work surface (almost as though you were forming a cage around the dough). Rotate your hand in clockwise circles, exerting a bit of pressure on the top of the dough ball, until it's a smooth sphere. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough and let stand 15 minutes, loosely covered with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel. (The dough can be prepared up to this point, transferred to a baking sheet, covered with greased plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. Let come to room temperature before proceeding.)
• If you have a large pizza stone, place it in the oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. (If you don't have a pizza stone, lightly oil a rimmed 13-by-18-inch baking sheet). Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll into an 8-inch circle using a rolling pin. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons pesto in the center of the dough and use the back of the spoon or an offset spatula to spread it in a thin, even layer, leaving a 1-inch border. Pile 2/3 cup mozzarella on half of the dough, then top with some of the tomatoes. Fold the dough in half, over filling, then roll and crimp the edge of the dough together to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough, pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes until all 6 calzones have been formed. Brush each calzone with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky salt.
• With a large spatula, transfer the calzones to the pizza stone (or baking sheet) and arrange them diagonally to fit. Bake until puffed and deep brown, 18 to 23 minutes. (Tent with foil if the tops become too dark before the rest of the dough is browned.) Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and 1½ tsp fine salt in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a tabletop mixer. Measure out 300ml warm water and add roughly 280ml to the flour, along with the olive oil, and start mixing until the ingredients start to clump together as a dough. If the dough seems a little dry, add the remaining water. Once combined, knead for 10 mins by hand on your work surface, or for 5 mins on a medium speed in a mixer. The dough is ready when it feels soft, springy and elastic. Clean the bowl, drizzle in a little oil, then pop the dough back in, turning it over and coating the sides of the bowl in oil. Cover with some oiled cling film and set aside in a warm place to double in size - this will take 1-3 hrs, depending on the temperature.
• Line a baking tray with parchment. Uncover the dough and punch it down a couple of times with your fist, knocking out all the air bubbles. Tip out onto a floured work surface and dust the top with a little flour too, if it is sticky. Roll the dough out to a rectangle, roughly 40 x 30cm. Spread the pesto over the dough, then scatter over the tomatoes, both cheeses and the basil. Roll the dough up from one of the longer sides, into a long sausage.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 even pieces. Place on the baking tray, cut-side up, in a 3-by-4 formation, making sure the open end of each roll is tucked in towards the centre on the arrangement - this will prevent them from uncoiling during cooking. Leave a little space between each roll as they will grow and touch as they prove. Loosely cover with oiled cling film and leave to prove for 30 mins-1 hr until almost doubled in size again. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Uncover the bread when it is puffed up. Bake on the middle shelf in the oven for 35-40 mins until golden brown and the centre looks dry and not doughy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 10 mins.