Christmas Bread Wreath

Equipment:

• Stand mixer with a dough hook attachment

  
  

Ingredients:

• 350g bread flour

• 10g yeast

• 10g salt

• 3 sprigs of thyme

• 190g water

• 50g baby tomato diced

• Black pepper

• Pesto

• Salsa for dipping

• Grated parmesan

• Olives

• Olive oil

Method:

1. In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment knead your flour, yeast, salt, thyme and water until the dough becomes smooth. This should take about 10 mins.

2. While that is going, roast your diced tomatoes in a 180C oven for 20 mins. Toss them in a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Once your dough is smooth, shape into a ball, cover and leave to proof until double in size. This will take between 1 and 2 hours.

4. Once proofed, punch down and mix in your tomatoes. Don't worry if the texture of the dough changes, it should become smoother when mixed with the oil from the tomatoes.

5. Shape your dough into a log shape, and then on a lined baking sheet connect the two ends of the "log" so that you form a wreath. Ensure that your wreath has a big enough space in the middle to allow for proofing and baking. You want to leave a gap in the middle for your dips.

6. Pour over some olive oil, sprinkle over a generous amount of pepper and cover gently with plastic wrap. The olive oil you have poured over should prevent the plastic wrap from sticking to the dough.

7. Allow to proof until double in size. Again, this will take around 1 to 2 hours.

8. Bake in a preheated oven of 200C for 20 mins, or until brown.

9. Take out of the oven and allow to cool.

10. Decorate with your pesto and parmesan. Place your salsa and olives in the centre of the wreath for serving.