Ingredients
- For the Mushroom and Olive Tapenade:
- 25g Dried Porcini Mushrooms
- 240ml boiling water
- 1 x tin Seasoned Sliced Mushrooms (220g, once drained)
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 100g olives (pitted weight)
- 35g toasted pine nuts
- 4 sprigs fresh basil, leaves only
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- For the Dough:
- 240ml milk
- 30g butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp (7g, or 1 sachet) fast-action yeast
- 360g plain flour (or 180g plain and 180g strong white bread flour), plus extra
- 2 tbsp mixed sesame seeds
- To serve the Star Bread:
- Extra Mushroom and Olive Tapenade
- Sweety Red Drop Peppers
- Fig Spread
- Grilled Borettane Onions
- Extra basil and thyme
Preparation Method
- 1. Start by preparing the Mushroom and Olive Tapenade which can be made up to 1 week in advance. Add the dried mushrooms to a heatproof bowl and submerge in boiling water. Leave for 20 minutes while you move on and then drain them.
- 2. Drain the seasoned mushrooms and add 1 tbsp of the oil to a non-stick pan. Warm over a high heat and add the garlic, spring onion, the thyme and the seasoned mushrooms. Fry off for 5-10 minutes to soften the onions and cook off the garlic.
- 3. To make the tapenade, add the drained and rehydrated mushrooms to a food processor with the fried off seasoned mushrooms, the olives, pine nuts, basil, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. Blend to a smooth dip, some small chunks are OK. Allow to cool, and store in an airtight container for 1 week (you can over it with some olive oil to preserve it better) in the fridge.
- 4. For the dough, warm together the milk and butter until just melted and lukewarm. Stir in the olive oil and sugar and sprinkle over the yeast. Leave for 5 minutes to bloom.
- 5. In a large bowl stir together the flour(s) and salt. Pour in the yeast-milk and bring to a shaggy dough with a spoon. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes with your hands to make a smooth ball of dough. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for 30 minutes, to rise. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 160Fan/180ºC.
- 6. Once risen, tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces and roll each one to a circle about 25-cm diameter. Measure out about 300g of the tapenade to use.
- 7. For the star, lay one circle of dough onto a piece of parchment, on top of a baking sheet/tray. Spread the circle with 1/3 of the tapenade almost to the edges and top with the second piece of dough. Repeat with more filling, another circle of dough, the final filling and top with the 4th circle of dough. Press down lightly. Place a small circle lid or cup (about 5-cm diameter) in the middle of the stacked dough and use a knife to cut from the outside in towards this circle, dividing the dough into 16 equal strips. Now, take two pieces of the star bread, twist them away from each other twice and pinch the edges together. Repeat to make all 8 star points.
- 8. To bake: brush the pastry all over with olive oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Place in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until well-risen, golden and springy. Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes.
- 9. Allow to cool for 20 minutes and then tear and serve with extra herbs.
- 10. Or, allow to cool fully and keep in a sealed container for 1-2 days (best enjoyed fresh the same day).
- Credit to @nourishingamy
