Recipe - Savory babka with pesto

Summer is finally here, and it's time for aperitifs! To impress your guests, consider a savory pesto babka: it's delicious, moist, and the pesto will transport you to Provence. Worried about yeast dough? Not at all! You don't even need a mixer for this dough, just a little organization :) Let's get started with the recipe.

Ingredients :
For the brioche
- 380g of flour
- 180g of lukewarm milk
- 12g of fresh baker's yeast
- 20g of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 60g of melted butter
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- For the egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon of milk
For the garnish
- 100g grated Comté cheese
- 30g of pine nuts
- 1 bunch of basil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 50g of parmesan
- 30ml of olive oil

Steps :
Pesto
- Mix (or crush with a pestle) the pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, basil and olive oil then set aside.
The brioche
- Mix the lukewarm milk (max 38°C) and the fresh yeast
Add the sugar, eggs, melted (and cooled) butter and mix.
Sift the flour and then add it to the mixture along with the salt.
- Knead the dough for about 8 minutes until you obtain a ball that holds its shape but remains sticky.
- Let the dough rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes in a dish greased with olive oil, under a damp cloth and away from drafts.
- After 1 hour and 30 minutes, the dough will have doubled in volume: you can now deflate it.
- On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to give it a rectangular shape, approximately 3 to 5mm thick.
- Spread the pesto over the dough and sprinkle with grated Comté cheese
- Roll the dough lengthwise (longest part of the rectangle) to make a tight roll.
- Cut the dough in half lengthwise, leaving one end intact: this will allow you to see the inside of your roll, alternating between dough and filling
- Now, let's braid! Take turns passing one strand over the other, making sure the inside is facing upwards (to prevent the pesto from leaking out), then join the two ends together.
- Let it rise again under a cloth (this time, 30 minutes is enough)
- Brush the egg wash onto your brioche and then bake on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 170°C for 20 to 25 minutes (this may vary depending on the oven).

It's ready!!!
Whether served warm or cold, this savory braided brioche is perfect as an appetizer, during a meal, or alongside a salad. It can even be kept until the next day without losing any of its deliciousness... provided you don't eat it all in one go!

As a bonus, here are a few tips to accompany or enhance your babka:
- You can opt for a pesto rosso version (with sun-dried tomatoes)
- Are you more of a meat-eater? What about a version with bacon, goat cheese and grated Comté cheese?
- This brioche will be perfect to accompany your spreads for delicious dips that will be a change from breadsticks and other crackers.

So, ready to take the plunge and try this recipe? We're definitely fans! Feel free to share your experiences in the comments :)