Sundried Tomato and Pesto Bread "Crusty Cob"

Do you think anyone will be able to resist a bread en cocotte as tasty as this one? Tasty is the word, because inside it hides dried tomatoes and pesto , intense aromas that make this bread the perfect piece for an appetizer, in sandwiches, served with summer soups and stews or cut into pieces as part of a " "mezze platter". It is delicious alone and accompanied!

Its peculiar drawing reminds us of a family-sized ear of corn -It's beautiful! And for making bread quickly and easily, there is certainly nothing more ideal than the perfection of the Le Creuset cocotte . It is the perfect piece to go in the oven, and since it is made of iron and gets so hot, you get a perfect crust. What do you say, do you dare with this bread? Go for it!

Round Evolution Le Creuset Cocotte

Ingredients

• 600 g bread flour (and a little more for dusting)
• 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
• 350 ml of lukewarm water
• ½ teaspoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry yeast
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons pesto sauce
• 100 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained and chopped)
• 2 tablespoons of soft olive oil (for kneading and greasing the cocotte).
• 2 - 3 tablespoons semolina flour for dusting

Preparation

1. Turn the oven on to the lowest heat setting (50 - 70°C), place the empty cocotte with the lid on and heat up.
2. In a bowl, sift the flour with the salt.
3. Put 350 ml of hot water (do not burn) in a jug , add the sugar, salt and yeast. Stir and leave to act for 5 minutes so that the yeast activates and the mixture becomes foamy.
4. Make a hole in the center of the flour and add the pepper, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes (drained from the oil and finely chopped) and pour in the yeast water that you have prepared. Mix the ingredients, slicing to integrate all the flour from the edges of the bowl. Mix until you get a soft but not sticky dough (you can add a little more flour if necessary, if you see it very sticky, tablespoon by tablespoon, always integrating well before adding one more).
5. Lightly grease the work surface and your hands with a little olive oil and remove the dough. Knead the dough with the heel of your hand, fold and twist. Go working the dough like this for 5-6 minutes, until it becomes elastic. If you have a KitchenAid, knead with the hook accessory, always pausing several times between kneading).
6. Remove preheated Le Creuset cocotte and lid from oven; Lightly brush the inside of the base with a little olive oil. Place the dough inside, put on the hot lid and let rest for 30 to 40 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
7. Dust a clean work surface and your hands with a little extra flour and form the sourdough.
8. Place the cocotte and lid back in the oven to reheat.
9. Remove the air from the dough by kneading it a few times with your knuckles and shape it into a round loaf.
10. Remove the hot casserole from the oven and sprinkle the interior liberally with the semolina flour.
11. Place the dough in the casserole and press gently so that it fits into the base. Replace the lid and let sit a second time for 30 - 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
12. Halfway through the rise time, increase the oven temperature to 220°C.
13. Place a cookie sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven and fill it with water (to create humidity in the oven).
14. Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the lid of the casserole, dust the top of the dough with a little more semolina flour, and score the surface to create a diamond pattern.
15. Place the cocotte in the oven without a lid and bake for 35 - 40 minutes until golden brown.
16. Once the bread is cooked, place the bread out of the pan on a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy this bread with a Mediterranean air!