{Olive Garden Breadsticks}

From:   http://readableeatables.blogspot.com/

Oh man, I loved these! These would just complete any meal really. Pasta, soup, salad…you name it. Make these when you get a chance. Make sure you serve them hot out of the oven.

*These are a little more dense than Olive Garden’s. But the flavor is incredible and pretty right on with the garlic butter. I also updated the picture, because the other one was too dark. Enjoy 🙂

Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs yeast
1 Tbs salt (yes, the recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon, which I use every time and they turn out great.)
2 Tbs butter, softened
4-5 Cups flour

Topping:
3 Tbs butter melted
sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder

For the dough, pour the water into a stand mixer with the sugar and yeast, let that sit and froth for about 10 minutes. Add salt, butter, and 2 cups of flour. Mix the dough on low. Add the rest of the flour a half cup at a time, until dough scrapes the sides of the bowl clean. Mix the dough about 5 minutes on medium speed, until its soft and easy to work with.
Let the dough rest in the bowl until doubled in size, about 1 hour and then roll it out. Roll the dough out into a long log, spray a knife with cooking spray and cut the dough into 12-14 pieces. Roll those pieces into about 6 inch long snakes. Spray 2 large cookie sheets with cooking spray, ( I usually only use one) and lay the breadsticks out leaving about 2 inches between each one.
Place them in the oven with the temperature turned to 170 degrees. Let them rise for about 15 minutes, or until doubled in size.( I have also let them sit at room temp until they are doubled in size and then bake them in the oven)
Once risen, brush them with the 1 1/2 T of melted butter and sprinkle them with salt. Now preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake them for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. While they are baking combine the rest of the melted butter with 1 tsp garlic powder. When the breadsticks are golden brown, remove them from the oven and brush them with the butter/garlic mixture.

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Other Breadstick Notes

Basic ingredients:
Flour, EVOO, Water, Yeast, Milk, Butter

Grissini Bread sticks are thin crisp bread sticks, rather than the chewy ones shown above.
Good flavor enhancers and combinations for this type of bread stick (from Greatest British Cooking Show) follow:

• Nigella seed and Parmesan cheese
• Poppy seed, caraway seed and Kalamata olives
• Lemon and rosemary
• Ras el hanout is a flavor from Africa
• Garlic, Parmesan cheese and Bleu cheese
• You can also entwine two different colors

Knead your dough until you achieve the Window Pane Stage, where it can stretch so thin that light goes through it.
A slow bake will drive out the moisture, making it crispier.

Grissini

• • 1 1/3 C water (warm)
  • 2 tsp yeast
    • Let rest 5 minutes
  • 1/4 C EVOO
  • 1 C AP flour – whisk to combine – this removes lumps
  • 2 C more flour
  • 1.5 tsp sea salt
    • Put on Kitchen Aid with paddle attachment
  • Change to dough hook
    • Add 3/4 C more flour
  • Mix 3-5 minutes with dough hook on medium-slow speed
  • Finish on counter, kneading by hand
  • Stretch dough into a rough rectangle
  • Put dough on surface oiled with EVOO
  • Continue to stretch until it is relatively flat
  • Roll using rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thickness
  • Brush the top with sesame oil
  • Cover with plastic wrap while still on counter
  • Cover plastic with a towel for about 90 minutes
    • You will have only one rise
    • OPTIONAL:  Sprinkle with sesame seeds or caraway seeds
  • As time nears, oil a large baking sheet with sesame oil
  • Cut into half (lengthwise) with a pizza cutter
  • Cut dough about the width of your fingers and move fingers to the baking sheet, stretching to width of baking sheet
  • OPTIONAL:  Stretch far, then twist into a spiral breadstick
  • Bake at 400º for 18-20 minutes
    • Cook until golden/tanned