| Yield: 3 dozen
Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons butter or solid vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cold water
Food processor instructions: Add flour, salt, and baking powder to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until combined. Next add the butter or shortening and olive oil, then pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
With the food processor running, gradually add the cold water. You want to add enough water and process until the dough comes together. This should take about a minute. (You may need to add a little extra water. Sometimes it takes less. Just remember that you want to end up with a dough you can handle, not some gooey globby batter.)
Note: If you want to make plain or oiled and salted breadsticks, proceed reading these directions; otherwise, skip ahead and check out the "tips" section first.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (Be sure to rub some flour over your hands, too.) Using your fingers, shape the dough into a smooth rectangle. Then use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an 8x10-inch sheet, about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.
(See suggestion below for using a straight edge and a pizza
cutter.)
Either gently roll each strip back and forth into 16-inch-long sticks, or, for a twisted version, grab each end of the dough strip with your fingers, and carefully stretch and twist the strip in opposite directions.
Arrange the sticks on two baking sheets, side by side but not touching.
(You can brush each stick lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt at this point, if you want. Just be sure you read the "tips" section before you make this decision.)
You'll want to press the ends of each breadstick onto the baking sheet. This keeps the breadsticks straight while they bake.
Bake in a 350°F oven until firm and cooked through, about 14 to 18 minutes.
Transfer the breadsticks to a wire rack to cool.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
 To add some extra oomph to your breadsticks, before you cut the dough into the strips, brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
You can add freshly ground black pepper or other seasoning at this point, too. Lightly pat the seasoning into the dough.
If you want to add seeds (such as poppy seeds) to your breadsticks, first sprinkle some over the floured surface before you roll out the dough. Once you have the dough rolled out -- but before you cut it into strips, sprinkle more seeds over the top of the dough and gently roll the rolling pin over the seeds so they adhere to the dough.
For a mild garlic-flavored bread stick, blend a couple of roasted garlic cloves with a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Spread that mixture over the dough before you cut it into the strips. Optional: Sprinkle some sea salt over the garlic-oil blend.
For sweet breadsticks, brush them with some melted butter. Then, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the top of the butter.
(Be sure to check on the sweet breadsticks after 10 minutes and adjust your baking time accordingly because you don't want the sugar to
burn.)
Feel free to add your choice of spice (such as curry powder or cumin) or finely grated Parmesan cheese to the dry ingredients before you process the dough. Just remember that you may need to adjust the water to allow for this change in ingredients.
One of my favorite variations is to add a couple of tablespoons of finely minced red onion to the dough. Once it's rolled out, I brush the dough with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle it with sea salt before I cut it into strips.
Go
wild! Be adventurous! Use your taste-sensation imagination and come up with your own flavor combinations! Some additional suggestions include adding finely minced black or green olives to the batter. Adding shredded carrots or substituting any vegetable juice for the water makes for a different taste and pleasing appearance
Last, but not least, nowhere is it written that you must keep the breadsticks long. Break them in half or thirds and arrange them in an assortment of teacups or mugs if you're setting them out on a buffet table. That way your family or guests can sample one of each of the variations you've created!
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