Holiday Cooking Class, Bread Sticks

Someone from last weeks cooking class organized a group for a cooking class yesterday which included both adults and off from school kids...  We are having fun with these classes and are open to doing more of them in the future. We baked bread, made spreads and then enjoyed eating our labors... Special requests included bread sticks and chocolate bread.  Below is a bread stick recipe, we made them a little too thick yesterday I think the key is to roll them as thin as a pencil.

Rosemary Bread Sticks

2 teaspoons fresh compressed yeast

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup whole wheat flour (substituting this for 00 flour would result in a lighter breadstick but I like the whole wheat for both taste and nutrition reasons)

1 cup all purpose unbleached flour

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary, could substitute other herbs, seeds, minced garlic...

In a medium sized bowl combine the yeast, water and oil.  Mix in the flours, salt and rosemary and knead until dough is very smooth.

Prepare a baking pan by spraying with oil and sprinkling with cornmeal.  Roll out long thin bread sticks and cook in a 375 degree oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Eat hot or very crispy at room temperature.