{"id":12170,"date":"2010-06-07T20:37:17","date_gmt":"2010-06-08T03:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ecurry.com\/blog\/?p=12170"},"modified":"2010-06-08T16:17:27","modified_gmt":"2010-06-08T23:17:27","slug":"italian-breadsticks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ecurry.com\/blog\/starters-snacks\/italian-breadsticks\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Breadsticks"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\"Italian
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\nFresh baked breadsticks with Italian flavors; crusty on the outside and soft and tender inside. They will be gone the moment they come out of the oven!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Another recipe which sat in the draft unattended, half cooked. All of a sudden my spirit to cook and blog has disappeared. It could be the heat or the beginning of the summer break and the desire that comes with it to laze around and spend a zillion memorable moments with the kids or the plain fact that I feel like eating only fresh fruits and berries and salads. I don’t know…I had thought the break I took would do me good, but at the back of the mind that fear lingered that once I lost touch I would not be able to get back again. The half written posts are annoying, the pictures amiss and the proportions and ingredients quite a muddle in my head. It takes a longer time to put everything together.<\/p>\n

Well, here I am with nothing else but some w(h)ine and\u00a0 bread sticks which were made the first place after I craved the Olive Garden’s<\/em><\/strong> Antipasto & Zuppa<\/em>; the bread sticks and the minestrone soup<\/a> which we get for ourselves every single time.
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\n<\/strong><\/em>
\n\"Italian
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\nThese were not exactly the Olive Garden kind; not as soft topped, but crusty on the outside and gentle and hollow on the inside just the way I like my breads. Rustic, fresh, and warm. I am not fond of bread except when I make them at home and then they don’t last too long.<\/p>\n

The plate in the picture is the end result of one night when we visited a clay house to paint our own potteries. I painted this plate \ud83d\ude09
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Italian Breadsticks<\/h2>\n


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Ingredients:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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  1. 1.5 teaspoons active dry yeast<\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting<\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, <\/strong><\/strong>softened<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil<\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. warm water to make the dough
    \n<\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. 1 tablespoon sugar<\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n
  7. 1 teaspoon sea salt<\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n
  8. 2 teaspoons garlic powder<\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n
  9. 1 teaspoon dried herbs, <\/strong>like oregano (or whatever you prefer), crushed<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n


    \n<\/strong><\/em>
    \nFor topping\/to brush on the bread<\/strong>:<\/em><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted or extra virgin olive oil<\/strong><\/li>\n
    2. salt<\/strong><\/li>\n
    3. 1\/2 teaspoon\u00a0 garlic powder<\/strong><\/li>\n
    4. 1\/2 teaspoon dried herbs, <\/strong>crushed<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Notes: <\/strong>Use olives, sun dried tomatoes, peppers etc to have breadsticks with different flavors.<\/em>
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      \n<\/strong><\/em>
      \n
      \n<\/strong><\/em>
      \nPreparation:<\/strong><\/em>
      \n
      \n<\/strong><\/em>
      \nTopping: <\/strong><\/em>
      \n
      \n<\/strong><\/em>
      \nCombine all ingredients for the topping in a bowl and set aside.
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      \n<\/strong><\/em>
      \n
      \n<\/strong><\/em>
      \nDough & Baking:<\/strong><\/em>
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      \n<\/strong><\/em>
      \nTake 1\/4 cup warm water in the bowl; dissolve half the sugar and\u00a0 sprinkle in the yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.<\/p>\n

      Combine the flour, butter, olive oil, garlic powder, powdered herbs, rest of the sugar and salt and mix till the flour mixture gets crumbly.<\/p>\n

      Add the frothy yeast\u00a0 mix and combine everything together, while slowly adding some warm water to make a soft but NOT sticky dough.<\/p>\n

      Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface until very smooth and soft. Roll into a long log; divide into the number of rolls you want to make (calculate the number by how big you want the sticks to be).<\/p>\n

      Knead each piece slightly and shape into a\u00a0 breadstick; arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a cloth; let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about an hour.<\/p>\n

      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.<\/p>\n

      Brush the breadsticks with the prepared topping and sprinkle some coarse salt.<\/p>\n

      Lightly cover and let it rise for another half an hour.<\/p>\n

      Bake until slightly golden, about 15-20\u00a0 minutes or until very light golden.<\/p>\n

      If desired, brush the warm breadsticks with the topping mix.<\/p>\n

      Serve warm. Tastes best when served immediately.<\/p>\n

      Serve with soup or just by themselves with some herbed olive oil on the side.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n


      \n<\/strong><\/em>
      \n\"Italian
      \n
      \n<\/strong><\/em>
      \nThe Breadsticks are       Yeastspotted!<\/a>
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      \n<\/strong><\/em>
      \n
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      \n
      \nRelated Posts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      No Knead Bread<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

      Rosemary Pepper Peasant Bread<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

      Mildly Spiced Goan Bread<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n


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