This soft, fluffy and delicious Pesto Cannabis Bread recipe comes to us from culinary cannabis writer and recipe developer Christina Wong. It calls for the Donny Burger strain, which Christina likens the aroma to "cheeseburger with grilled onions." Its cheesy, peppery and sharp flavor is perfect in this savory bread. She originally developed it for Glass House Farms, creator of the Donny Burger strain, which is worth seeking out if you plan to make this recipe. Otherwise look for another indica-dominant strain with a similar terpene profile.
A note about dosing:
Be mindful of your dosage when using THC or CBD.
A standard dose of THC in an edible is 5-10 mg, so calculate accordingly. Click here for information about dosing and potency.
Start with a low dose and wait at least an hour before slowly consuming more, as the effects of ingested cannabis can take longer to kick in and can affect people differently.
How to Make this Pesto Cannabis Recipe
This recipe is essentially a savory star bread filled with homemade cannabis leaf pesto. Set aside two days for making this pesto cannabis bread recipe as it takes some time to decarb the cannabis and infuse the oil. Here's how Christina makes the THC oil:
- Preheat the oven to 240°F. Place coarsely ground cannabis flower into the mason jar. Seal with the metal lid to reduce smell and heat for 40 minutes in the oven to decarb, which activates the THC. Remove from the oven and let cool until the mason jar is safe to touch. The ground flower will look lightly toasted.
- Add ¼ cup vegetable oil into the mason jar with activated flower. Seal the lid, place into the oven and bake at 170°F for 2-3 hours to infuse THC into the oil. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
A THC Infused Pesto to Try
Once you've made Christina's pesto bread you'll be ready for more! Give our THC Infused Pesto with both THC-infused and high quality extra virgin olive oil a try.
Don't forget to share your Pesto Cannabis Bread Recipe masterpieces by snapping a pic and tagging us on social media using #CookingWithJaneAndMary.
Looking for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram for your daily dose of culinary creativity!
Pesto Cannabis Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Mason Jar
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 7½ cups all-purpose flour 1,060 grams
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar 65 grams
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 10 grams
- 1 tablespoon salt 15 grams
- 3 cups choice of milk 680 grams, lukewarm
- ¼ cup cannabis oil – recipe follows
- 1 cup pesto – recipe follows
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- egg wash 1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Cannabis Oil
- 0.6 grams of Glass House Farms Donny Burger 25% THC cannabis flower
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
Cannabis Leaf Pistachio Pesto (or use store-bought pesto)
- ¼ cup pistachio nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 ½ cup cannabis leaves stems removed (optional, substitute with basil if you don’t have cannabis leaves)
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- The day before: make cannabis oil: Preheat the oven to 240°F. Place coarsely ground cannabis flower into the mason jar. Seal with the metal lid to reduce smell and heat for 40 minutes in the oven to decarb, which activates the THC. Remove from the oven and let cool until the mason jar is safe to touch. The ground flower will look lightly toasted.
- Add ¼ cup vegetable oil into the mason jar with activated flower. Seal the lid, place into the oven and bake at 170°F for 2-3 hours to infuse THC into the oil. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
- Make cannabis leaf pesto: In a food processor, put pistachio, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, basil leaves, and cannabis leaves (with stems removed). Blend until pulverized. Slowly drizzle in the infused olive oil while the food processor is on until it turns into a creamy paste. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper, and blend to finish. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 7 days. Or freeze until ready to use.
- Make cannabis bread dough: In a large mixing bowl or pot, mix together flour, sugar, yeast, salt, lukewarm milk, and oil. The milk should be just warm to the touch, do not overheat the milk or it will prevent the yeast from rising. Knead the dough with a dough hook, or using your hands, until the scraggly dough comes together into a soft ball that is slightly sticky to the touch. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place, about 2 hours to double in size. If it’s too cold, warm the oven at 170 degrees or lower, turn off when it reaches temp and place the dough near or inside the turned off oven.
- Prepare the cannabis bread: Using a rubber spatula, scrape the side of the bowl or pot to release the risen dough, it will deflate slightly. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a chef’s knife or a pastry butter, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces, approximately ½ pound each. Roll the pieces into balls, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Take one of the dough balls and using your hands gently pull, flatten, and press the dough into a 12-inch circle, like pizza dough. Place the dough circle onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread a generous spoonful of pesto evenly onto the dough, sprinkle with shredded cheese. Repeat with two more dough balls and place the fourth circle on top. Make the second cannabis bread with the remaining four dough balls, pesto, and cheese.
- Shape the cannabis leaf bread: Place a small round cookie cutter just below the center of the circle, about two-thirds down. Using a knife or pastry cutter, cut straight lines around the cookie cutter (outwards from the center) into 16 strips – the top two strips will be the tallest for the center leaf, and the bottom two strips will be the stem. Remove the round cookie cutter.
- Take the bottom two strips of dough and twist them away from each other two times. Pinch the two ends together vertically, so the dough sticks together. Twist slightly to help the ends hold together into points while baking. Repeat with the remaining dough strips around the circle. Twist the largest dough strips three times, and pull the dough outwards a little to make a more pointed leaf shape with the bread dough. You’ll end up with 7 leaves and one stem. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to snip any excess dough and shape into the pointed leaves and stem. Save the dough scraps and roll them into golf-ball sized balls to make pesto bread nugs. Cover with plastic wrap to rise for about an hour.
- Bake the bread: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the cannabis leaf bread and pinch the ends that may have puffed and pulled apart during rising to make pointed leaf ends again. Brush the top of the bread with the egg wash, which will give it a shiny, golden crust after baking.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn halfway through baking to even brown both sides. Bake the bread nugs for 15-20 minutes only. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes. Generously sprinkle finely grated parmesan cheese on top of the cannabis leaf bread and nugs. Best enjoyed warm. Store covered in an airtight container and keep cool for up to 5-7 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Christina Wong
Christina is a culinary cannabis writer, educator, recipe developer, content creator, baked baker, and baking show host who’s earned accolades for her imaginative and delectable creations. She’s the Founder & CEO of Fruit + Flower Co., a creative media company that brings together cannabis and food in intriguing and sometimes unexpected ways. Her work has been featured in High Times, Cherry Bombe, CannaCurious, and Kitchen Toke Magazine.
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