Tomato Basil Breadsticks

Tomato Basil Bread Sticks

If you never made bread sticks before these are a great place to start. They are tasty and super easy the make. You can bake them for 45 minutes for a soft bread stick- or leave them baking longer for a crunchy end product. I roll them out to about 8 inches long- think of the size and shape of a cigar. Feel free to make them even longer when you make your own. Eat as is or with cheese, butter or whatever you like.  They may remind you of pretzels, which, when you think about it, are a type of bread stick. You can even roll them out and form into pretzels shapes.

Tomato Basil Bread Sticks

2 T. olive oil

1/3 c. chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 c. tomato puree

1/3 c. water

3-3 1/2 c. flour

2 t. salt

1 t. sugar

2 t. dried basil

1 packet fast-acting yeast

1 egg combined with 1T. water

coarse salt for sprinkling

Sauté onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender. Stir in tomato puree and water and combine well. In bowl, with electric mixer combine 3 c. of the flour with salt, sugar, basil and yeast and stir in tomato mixture. Beat until smooth, adding the rest of the flour, Mixture should be sticky. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of the dough and roll into 8-inch long strips. Place on baking sheets covered with parchment paper. Brush lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with the salt. Bake in upper third of 325-degree oven (it will take 2 batches) for 45 minutes (soft breadsticks) or 1 1/2 hours (crisp breadsticks). Makes about 25.

Bread sticks rising

Warm from the oven