Ingredients:
3 to 3-1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
1 T. honey
1 t. salt
2 pkgs. yeast (instant dry)
1-1/4 c. water (very warm)
Sesame seeds (toasted) -as needed
Directions:
Mix all ingredients except for the sesame seeds. Knead until dough is very smooth, elastic, and forms a ball. Add flour occasionally while kneading to prevent sticking. Cover the dough with a damp dish towel and let it rest for about five minutes. Flour your hands and pat the dough into a rectangle on a well-floured work surface. With the rolling pin, roll the dough to a 6″ by 16″ rectangle, pressing evenly so the breadsticks will be uniform in thickness. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil. Cover the dough with the damp dish towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Heat oven to 425 deg. F. Spray baking sheets with a vegetable cooking spray, or brush with a small amount of olive oil. Lightly brush the dough with water. Sprinkle the dough with sesame seeds and press them down gently into the dough. With a chef’s knife, cut the dough across into 32 strips, each about 1/2 inch wide. Stretch 1 strip of the dough to the width of a baking sheet. Set it on one of the prepared baking sheets, letting the dough come just to the edges. Repeat to stretch the remaining strips, arranging them 3/4 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven-two baking sheets at a time until bread sticks are golden and crisp, usually 15 to 18 minutes; then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
TIP: Keep the third sheet of unbaked bread sticks in the refrigerator until there is room in the oven to bake them. To make them a little more “fancy,” when placing the strips of dough on the baking sheet, hold down one end with one hand while gently twisting the other end until you get a spiral effect. Then press down both ends to the baking sheet so you won’t lose the spiral.
Nutritional Information:
Per bread stick: calories: 72; fat: 2 grams; saturated fat: 0.3 grams; sodium: 71 milligrams; carbohydrates: 12 grams: dietary fiber: 1 gram; protein: 2 grams.
The Micheff sisters-Cinda Sanner, Brenda Walsh, and Linda Johnson, -appear regularly on the Christian television network 3ABN. Their latest cookbook, Cooking With the Micheff Sisters (Pacific Press), is a best-seller among health-conscious cooks worldwide.
