Grissini breadsticks with poppyseeds

I made these for our Christmas girls’ night and discovered how easy breadsticks are to make.  For these, I rolled them in poppyseeds and twisted them, but you could try all sorts of variations – rosemary, sea salt, sesame seeds, whatever you fancy.  I like that they are wobbly which gives them a home-made, rustic charm compared to the shop-bought variety.

Ingredients

3 oz whole wheat bread flour

6 fl oz warm water

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp active-dry yeast
7 oz strong white bread flour

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ tsp salt

4 tbsp poppy seeds

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the whole wheat flour, water, honey and yeast.  Stir to combine and leave the yeast to activate for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy.
2. Add the white bread flour, olive oil, and salt.
3. Mix on low speed with the dough hook attachment until combined, and then on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and shiny.
4. Wipe out the bowl with an oiled paper towel.  Put the dough back in and drizzle it with oil, then roll it around to coat.  
5. Cover the bowl with clingfilm or a tea towel and leave in a warm place for one hour or until doubled in size.
6. When the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 220°C and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Punch the dough down and divide into golf ball-sized portions.  Roll each one into a long, irregularly shaped snake.
8. Measure out a couple of tablespoons of poppyseeds and arrange 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.  
9. Place snakes on the baking sheet about 1/2" apart, and with each one pick up one end and twist several times to create a swirl.
10. Let the grissini rest for about 15 minutes so they puff up a bit before baking.
11. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans after 5 minutes, keeping an eye on them to check they don’t burn.  Remove from the oven when they are golden brown and place on a wire rack to cool.  

Adapted from a recipe on The Kitchn blog