Bread, Cheese, and Pesto From Scratch in One Hour

Dear Turkey,

In an hour, be

Transported to Italy,

Or just wow people

Bread, Cheese, and Pesto From Scratch in One Hour

(serves 3)

For the bread:

Ingredients:

- 1.5-2 c warm water (or whey from the cheese you are about to make)

- 1 pkg yeast (about 2 t)

- 1 8-oz-can sliced olives, drained 

- 1 T olive oil

- 1 T sugar

- 1/4 c grated cheese (I used Locatelli Romano)

- 5-7 c flour 

- 2 T dried basil

Instructions:

- Combine water, yeast, sugar, basil, and oil in a big bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Add some flour and the olives. Knead a little and then add the cheese a couple more cups of flour. Knead with your hands until a ball forms, adding more flour as needed. Knead another minute or two and then form into a disk about 1-2 inches high. 

- Please the disk on a baking stone covered with parchment and let rest, uncovered, in a 100 F oven or a very warm spot for 20-30 minutes.

- Make dimples over the top of the bread with your fingers and drizzle more olive oil on top, followed by some more basil and plenty of salt and pepper. 

- Bake at 425 F for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when you knock on it. 

For the cheese:

Ingredients:

- 8c whole milk + 1 c heavy cream or a variation (I used some half and half, some cream, some 1% milk, and some whole milk -- it doesn't really matter, though I would keep the cream and half and half to about 2 c or less of the total mixture)

- 3-6 T lemon juice (jarred is fine)

- 1/2 t salt

Instructions:

- Heat the milk/cream and salt to a rolling boil, stirring to prevent sticking and burning. Stir in the lemon juice. Start with 3 T. 

- Turn off heat and stir while it simmers for a minute or two. If the milk doesn't start to curdle after a couple of minutes, add more lemon juice (I ended up needing 6 T). If that doesn't work, turn the heat back up a little and simmer for a few more minutes. 

- After it starts to curdle, let it stand for a few minutes and then drain it in a colander lined with cheesecloth (if you don't have cheesecloth, and old t-shirt or a bandana will work), for about 30 minutes. Save the whey!

- Squeeze some more moisture out of the cheesecloth and then season the cheese if you want, or leave it plain to go savory or sweet. 

For the pesto:

Ingredients:

- 1-2 c fresh arugula

- about 1 c fresh parsley

- 1/8-1/4 c olive oil

- 1/8-1/4 c cheese (I used grated Locatelli Romano)

- 1/8-1/4 c nuts (I used pecans and walnuts)

- salt and pepper

- enough lemon juice to make it blend-able and nice and lemony (about 1/4-1/3 c)

Instructions:

- Combine all ingredients in a food processor (a blender will probably work too, but you may need to add more liquid) and process until fairly smooth (some little chunks of things are fine).

- Adjust ingredients to taste -- I gave ranges because it really depends on how you like it. 

- I served the bread with the cheese and the pesto as toppings, and I also served the cheese with fruit and honey for dessert. You will end up with a lot of bread -- slice leftovers and freeze. The pesto and cheese both keep well in the fridge.

Enjoy,

Tofu