These have been one of my staple party foods for years. The cacao adds subtle depth both to the bread and to the pesto.

Mini-Focaccia Cacao Pesto & Cherry Tomato

Prep Time

30 minutes and 2 - 3 hours rising time

Cooking Time

15 minutes

Serves

18-20 mini focaccias

Ingredients

For the bread:
500g strong white bread flour
250 ml water
100 ml milk
2 tablespoons of sea salt
9g dried yeast
20ml olive oil
25g 100% cacao. Try Peruvian Black, Chulucanas 100% cacao

For the topping:
200g cherry tomatoes cut into halves
A few fresh basil leaves as garnish
150g cacao pesto
75g fresh basil leaves
30g parmesan cheese
30g pine nuts
12g 100% cacao. Try Venezuelan, Carenero 100% cacao
40ml olive oil
Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Equipment:
Bowl
Saucespan
Sieve
Electric beater
Baking Dish

Method

To make the cacao pesto, melt the cacao in the olive oil then put this with the rest of the ingredients in a blender and mix to a rough paste. Check the seasoning.
Heat the cacao in the milk and half the water until the cacao is melted.
Warm the rest of the water to hand temperature and put in the yeast for about 10 minutes until it starts frothing.
Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, add the olive oil, salt and yeast and cacao mixtures.
Mix using the dough hook of an electric beater until smooth and elastic. Add more water or flour if necessary to achieve the right consistency.
Tip the dough into a large bowl that you have greased with olive oil. Pour a little olive oil all around the edge of the dough where it meets the bowl to help it rise.
Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours until it has doubled in size.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knock it back to its original size and roll the dough into a rectangle about 7mm deep. Cover with the pesto and roll it up along its long side.
Cut the sausage of dough into 15mm high rounds. Turn the rounds on their side and push 3 cherry tomato halves into the cracks. Don’t worry when the dough rises it will fill in the cracks.
Leave in a warm place for 1 hour for the dough to rise. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C. When risen, lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt if wanted.
Place the breads in the oven and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

Ingredients

For the bread:
500g strong white bread flour
250 ml water
100 ml milk
2 tablespoons of sea salt
9g dried yeast
20ml olive oil
25g 100% cacao. Try Peruvian Black, Chulucanas 100% cacao

Equipment:
Bowl
Saucespan
Sieve
Electric beater
Baking Dish

Method

To make the cacao pesto, melt the cacao in the olive oil then put this with the rest of the ingredients in a blender and mix to a rough paste. Check the seasoning.
Heat the cacao in the milk and half the water until the cacao is melted.
Warm the rest of the water to hand temperature and put in the yeast for about 10 minutes until it starts frothing.
Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, add the olive oil, salt and yeast and cacao mixtures.
Mix using the dough hook of an electric beater until smooth and elastic. Add more water or flour if necessary to achieve the right consistency.
Tip the dough into a large bowl that you have greased with olive oil. Pour a little olive oil all around the edge of the dough where it meets the bowl to help it rise.
Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours until it has doubled in size.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knock it back to its original size and roll the dough into a rectangle about 7mm deep. Cover with the pesto and roll it up along its long side.
Cut the sausage of dough into 15mm high rounds. Turn the rounds on their side and push 3 cherry tomato halves into the cracks. Don’t worry when the dough rises it will fill in the cracks.
Leave in a warm place for 1 hour for the dough to rise. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C. When risen, lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt if wanted.
Place the breads in the oven and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

Be inspired

Our single estate couverture chocolates all have distinctive flavour profiles. Choose the one that best suits your recipe.

Room temperature

Melted chocolate hates coming into contact with cold ingredients. If you are making a mousse for example, take the eggs and cream out of the fridge an hour or so before and use them when the chill has gone off them.

Melting chocolate

Never let your bowl touch the water. Always melt chocolate very slowly, and stir constantly. Take even more care to go slowly with milk and white chocolates.

Cool your chocolate

Don’t try folding cream or beaten egg whites into melted chocolate that you have just taken off the heat. Cool it for a few minutes first.

Mini-Focaccia Cacao Pesto & Cherry Tomato