There’s something so pleasurable about making bread. From the simplest country loaf, to the extravagant artisan styles, the versatility of bread is one of the reasons that makes it so popular - that, and it tastes great! With pesto, spinach and feta twining throughout these twists, there’s a delicious taste of the Mediterranean with each bite. What more could you want?

Ingredients

500g strong plain Bread Flour

8g dried yeast  

10g  salt

1 tsp sugar

50g butter (melted) 

190ml lukewarm water

100ml lukewarm milk 

1 tbsp black onion seeds

1 tsp garlic powder

ground black pepper to taste

150g pesto

250g spinach

100g feta

Method

1. Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl, then add the sugar, garlic powder, onion seeds and dried yeast and mix together.

2. Add the melted butter, lukewarm water and milk - mix with your hand until all the flour is mixed in. 

3. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and knead for about 5 minutes, until it becomes soft and pliable.

4. Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film, then leave to rise in a warm place for an hour (or until doubled in size). 

5. Wilt the spinach in a little water, leave to cool and then squeeze out any excess water and chop finely. 

6. When the dough has risen, tip onto a lightly floured surface and gently pinch out the air. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 12 x 20 inches.            

7. Spread the pesto evenly over the top of the dough, try to cover right up to the edges. 

8. Evenly sprinkle over the chopped spinach, then finely crumble the feta across the whole of the dough. Sprinkle with ground black pepper to taste. 

9. Starting with the long edge, roll the dough into a log and then seal the edge by pinching it together. 

10. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half all the way along the length - repeat this with each half so that you have four 20” long pieces of dough. 

11. Cut each length of dough into three pieces so that you end up with twelve dough sticks.

12. Hold each end of a dough stick and turn each hand in opposite directions to form a twist. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat with each dough stick. 

13. Cover loosely with cling film and leave to rest for 20 minutes. 

14. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°c for 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Once out of the oven, leave them to cool before serving.

15. We served our bread sticks with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix infused with garlic or chilli as a tasty dip.