Italian Breadsticks

Another of my mother's famous recipes. I just can't have spaghetti without these! Absolutely the most fantastic breadsticks ever!

3 c warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp flax meal
4 c whole wheat flour
2-3 c unbleached white flour

1 cube butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tbsp parsley
Parmesan Cheese

Combine first five ingredients in a bread mixer. Add flour and flax until dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Knead by mixer for 5 more minutes. Let rise until double. Punch down, roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into about 1" strips (I use a pizza cutter. Makes for fast and accurate work!).



Melt butter in a 9x13 pan in the oven. Add garlic and parsley. Dip strips of dough into the melted butter/garlic/parsley mixture and twist strips. Lay down in pan and repeat with remaining strips. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 400F/204C for about 25 minutes, until breadsticks are browned on top. Makes 1/2 to 2 pans of breadsticks!

(**I also use this recipe for Hungarian scones and pizza dough! For the scones, make exactly like the breadsticks, except you cut the strips shorter and thicker--2"x4" perhaps. Then, you deep fry it! Serve hot with butter, jam and/or honey, or roll in cinnamon and sugar! Fantastic stuff!)