Pesto Molasses Bread hot pockets

Whole Chicken breast, feta cheese, olives, banana peppers, and dill in a pesto molasses whole grain blanket of joy. Feel free to bask in the glow. Doesn't it just look like Fall around here?

I was tired of regular old hot pockets for lunches. So where my kids. I could tell. They wanted something different but still tasty. So, I got my creative soul out and girded my loins. Or chicken breasts. Whatever. I must admit, the pesto molasses bread is killer. I think you will probably love it as much as I do.

Pesto Molasses Bread dough:

6 cups whole wheat bread flour

1/2 cup prepared basil pesto (if you buy it already made, may I suggest Classico)

1/4 cup black strap molasses

2 cups cool water (90 degrees)

1T active dry yeast

1 T salt (I used sea salt

1 T dry oregano

1 T baking powder

Filling:

12 half chicken breasts, cooked and seasoned well

24 olives, sliced thin (I used 2 per pocket)

12 banana peppers, sliced thin (one per pocket)

1 1/2 cup fetta cheese, (2T per pocket)

dill (sprinkle to taste)

Dough:

Combine the yeast, water and molasses in a mixer bowl. Allow to proof 5- 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with a dough hook on medium speed 4-5 minutes until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour or water depending on how accurate you are with measurements and the storage conditions of the flour. Dough should be easy to handle and not too sticky.

Form into a ball and place in a gallon bowl. Allow to rest 20 minutes. This is a quick dough, meaning it just needs to rest and relax rather than actually raise much. DIVIDE into two balls. Roll one ball of dough out on a counter top covered with flour. Rectangle is best. 24 inches by 36 inches. Line up six cooked half chicken breast and top each with 4-5 olive slices, 2-3 slices of banana pepper, 1-2 T of feta cheese and sprinkle with dill.

Cut the dough in a straight line between the chicken breasts and pull up the dough as you would with the stuffed bread sticks. This will keep the dough as a thin blanket instead of a thick wad of dough. Pinch the seams really tightly...I think I mentioned Aunt Bertha once or twice. Place seam side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat with second ball of dough. Yields 12 pockets. Allow to raise 45 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake 30-35 minutes until dark brown and internal temperature reaches 175 degrees.
One half is a serving. It's pretty filling and looks so nice.

Oh stink bug. Note to self...kids don't like the peppers nearly as much as I do.

There you go.