Summer Baking: Pesto Stuffed French Bread

The one thing that says "summer" the most to me is fresh pesto.  Basil is my only annual plant and I am so sad to see it go after the first cold snap.  Yes, I do freeze a lot of pesto but you know it is not the same as fresh.

So let's have some fresh baked pesto stuffed French bread!

Ready to knead.

But don't knead too much!

Divide the dough for four loaves of regular French bread or two loaves of stuffed bread.

Roll it out.

Put the pesto on and spread it out.

Then jelly-roll it up.

Make sure the ends and seam are pinched closed.

Ready to go in the oven in a French loaf pan.  (You don't have to use the loaf pan but the bread will be flatter... more rustic looking.)

A perfect loaf of bread.

See the pesto?

So good!