Breadsticks

        
 

Making Breadsticks with different types of flour

Ingredients

Makes ~ 1 dozen breadsticks

These measurements are for one batch of breadsticks. You will be making two batches – so you will need 2x the ingredients listed here. 

  • 1/4 & 2 Tbsp cup warm water
  • 1/2  teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 package (a scant  1/2 tablespoon) rapid rise instant yeast – you are making two batches of breadsticks, so you will use the other half of the package on the second batch. 
    3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup EACH of whole wheat flour/Semolina OR additional all-purpose flour. You will make two batches of breadsticks – adding whole wheat/semolina to the first, and all-purpose to the second.
  • 1 & 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • Oil for the bowl
  • Herbs, finely chopped or seeds (e.g. seasame seeds) – optional

Materials

  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Food processor or stand mixer (if you don’t have a food processor or stand mixer, see note at the end on how to mix by hand)
  • Spoonula
  • Small bowl
  • Kitchen towel or plastic wrap
  • Baking sheets
  • Parchment paper (not wax paper, not foil)
  • Sharp knife
  • Cooling rack

Special note on Equipment:

This lab would benefit from a large food processor or stand mixer, but it is also possible to mix by hand. Watch one of the following videos on technique for operating these pieces of kitchen equipment, or to do it by hand. 

Food Processor

Stand mixer

Mixing by hand

Instructions

When you see text in boldface blue font. You should document that step with a photo on your blog.  

  1. Use the microwave to heat up your water a little – it should be warm, NOT hot.
  2. Measure out the flour using the following technique:
  3. Add the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of the food processor or stand mixer – mix briefly by pulsing or stirring.  * if you are not using a food processor or stand mixer,use a whisk to combine.
  4. With the food processor/stand mixer running, add the olive oil, honey and water through the feeding tube. Mix with the dough blade/hook until combined
    • For the food processor: mix for no more than 1 minute to knead. The dough should pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
    • For the stand mixer: mix for ~5-7 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
    • By hand: mix with a dough scraper (or strong mixing spoon) until combined, then knead for 10 minutes.
  5. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and transfer it to a bowl that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Drizzle a tiny amount of olive oil over the dough and roll it around until it has been coated. Cover with an kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let sit undisturbed in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
    • ​​While you are waiting, repeat steps 1-3 with the second kind of flour.
  6. Preheat your oven to 425°F and line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment paper (cut paper to fit). Use an oven thermometer to measure oven temperature. 
  7. Set out your cutting board, and turn the dough out of the bowl and onto the cutting board.
  8. Using the cutting board as your surface, shape the dough into a rough, flat rectangle. Slice a finger-sized piece from the long length of the rectangle with a sharp knife. Roll it into a long, irregularly shaped snake and place on the baking sheet. Continue with the remaining dough, placing the dough snakes about 1/2 inch apart. Note: The dough contains enough olive oil that you shouldn’t need flour to roll it out. If, for some reason, it is sticky, sprinkle a small amount of four on your surface before rolling.
  9. (Optional) Add flavor to the breadsticks (optional) To add herbs, knead about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh herbs into the dough and roll into snakes, as above. To add seeds, make the snakes as above. Measure out a couple of tablespoons of seeds and coax them into a long, thin line — as long as your snakes but fatter. Lay your snake over the seeds and press gently to make the seeds adhere. Place snakes on the baking sheet. Pick up one end and twist several times to create a swirl.
  10. Let the breadsticks rest for a few minutes before baking, so they puff up a bit, about 15 minutes.
  11. Place the baking sheets with breadsticks into the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. At 5 minutes, rotate the pans and check their progress. The breadsticks are quite thin, so they will burn easily! Keep an eye on them and take them out when they are golden brown.
  12. Carefully move the breadsticks to a cooling rack to cool.
  13. Once they are cool, store them in an airtight container (for up to 2 to 3 days)

On Your Blog

1. On your Blog, document your process with a combination of text and images. Use your own words, be creative and be yourself. I will be looking for certain images that I have specified in blue boldface font.

2. Compare the two batches of breadsticks. Line them up side by side and label them so we can see which is which. Take photos of the two nutrition labels of the two types of flour.

3. Post a video to your blog in which you address the following:

  • Examine the texture (chewy, crumbly, etc) of the two types of breadsticks
  • Break/tear each breadstick type. How easily do they break?

4. Answer questions with typed text at the end of the blog post.

  • To what extent does the texture of the breadstick correlate with the protein content of the flour? Why do you think this is?

          

This recipe was adapted from http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-grissini-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-191541​