Recipe#2479

Title: Breadsticks

From: LIR119@delphi.com 
 Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes 
 Subject: Olive Oil and Fennel Bread Sticks 
 Date: 2 Nov 1996 22:11:30 -0700 
 Message-ID: CMM-RU.1.5.846507513.davidg@er6.rutgers.edu 

Yield: 3 dozen
 3/4 c warm water
 3/4 c warm beer
 1 pt dry yeast
 3/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
 1 tb fennel seeds
 1 1/2 ts salt
 4 1/2 c flour
 1 egg
 1 tb water
 Dissolve yeast in warm water and warm beer for 10 minutes or until
 very foamy. Add olive oil, salt and fennel seeds. Mix in 3 1/2 cups
 flour and knead until smooth and elastic adding more flour as needed
 to prevent stickiness. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover and let
 rise double. Punch down dough and divide into 12 balls and divide
 each ball into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope and place
 on greased baking sheets at least 1 inch apart. Brush with egg
 glaze. Bake immediately, 350 until golden about 30 minutes.
 Variations:
 Sprinkle on rosemary, anise or other seeds on the dough.
 Make the bread sticks larger by dividing the 12 balls of dough in
 2 or 3 pieces instead of 4.
 Brush on extra virgin olive oil instead of the egg wash over the
 breadsticks prior to baking them, then turn over during baking and
 brush more oil on them to brown the other side.