You’re late, Mr. Pesto

So, you all know what I’m about to tell you, don’t you?

Yup.  That’s right.  My life kinda sucks right now.  I’ve got three kids, all with the flu.  And. I’m NOT going to catch it.  No way, nut-uh, not happening.  I’ve mentioned before that I’m a complete germaphobe, so I’m more than a little freaked out about catching “things”.  But, I’ve got this bug under control.  I’m keeping the house super clean; disinfecting the door knobs, light switches, using latex gloves to take out the kids’ garbage, and just to be on the safe side - I’ve been spraying lysol down my throat every 20 minutes.  O.k., not really, but I am being careful.

The really crappy news is that I can’t have anyone over tonight for the Oscars.  Just rub some salt in that fresh wound.  Oh well, Hubby and I will just have to watch them together and eat all this food by ourselves. Goodness knows the kids aren’t eating much of anything right now.  Katie is on the mend, but Aspie Girl and Babs are in still rough shape.

So I promised to tell you what I used the pesto for.  And, I would never go back on a promise - not to you anyhow.  Along with our chicken tonight we will have Pesto Spiked Bread.  I decided that I wanted to make some Italian bread a while back for dipping in pesto sauce and then decided “Aw, the hell with that, I’ll just bake the goodness inside.”  And, YES, I know that real pesto is never cooked.  But, it’s already got cream cheese in it anyhow, so I figured I was already doomed to be on the “real-pesto” blacklist, I might as well go ahead be one with my lazyness.  With my first attempt, the flavor was amazing, but it was seriously flat on top.  Well, I’ve made it at least four times since then and I’ve got it just right for you guys.  All because I was too lazy to dip my bread in some pesto.  Imagine that.

   See the little specks of pesto?!  Mmmm.

Just a note (or two) here.  This is a super-crusty bread and it’s designed to be that way!  I haven’t tried it this way, but if you don’t like the super crunch just leave out the egg whites, and it should soften the outer crust.  Also, if you cut this bread into little cubes and toast them on a cookie sheet it will make your salad positively SING when you use them as croutons.  Seriously.  I bet you’ve never seen a singing salad, have you?  I didn’t think so.  So don’t forget to do that, o.k.?!  You wouldn’t want to miss a singing salad. 

Also, I had planned to make some little chocolate tarts - enough for everyone that is was coming over to have one.  Do you know what that would mean?  It would mean that I’m going to get fatter and it’s all my kids fault because, hello, you can’t let them go to waste!  I just can’t let my poor flu-ridden children live with that guilt.  So, I will save the cholcolate tarts for another day and I’ll be sure and show them to you when I do make them.  Just make sure you come back - that is if you want to wish you’d never heard of a Jello Pudding Pie.  I’ll even give away my secret weapon whipped cream recipe!

O.k., on to the bread . . .

Pesto Spiked Bread

7/8 cup water (that’s 14 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon butter - softened
1/4 cup pesto
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
2 stiffly beaten egg whites

Place water, soft butter, and pesto in the bread machine pan.

Cover with bread flour.
Place sugar, salt and yeast on top of the flour, making sure to place the yeast and salt at opposite corners.

Choose the Italian/French bread option, and choose 1 1/2 pound loaf if you have to choose the size of the loaf.  Use the light or medium crust setting.  If you do not have an Italian/French option, you can choose the regular white setting.  Start the machine.
Let all the ingredients get moistened and add the egg whites. 

 

Watch the bread carefully as the egg whites mix in.  If you pause the machine the dough should not sink to the bottom of the pan like this.

If it does, add a couple of tablespoons of flour until it is a tighter ball.  If you pause the machine it should hold together and look more like this.

When done, remove from pan and cool.
Slice and serve.

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