Dear Sun Spots: Do you have directions for making the crisp breadsticks? – No Name, Rumford.

Answer: Here are several recipes you may enjoy trying.

Breadsticks. Ingredients: 1 package dry yeast (or 1 cake compressed); 1 tablespoon honey; 1 cup warm water; 1½ teaspoons salt; 1 cup whole wheat flour; 2 cups white flour (as needed); 2 to 3 tablespoons dry minced onion; 1 egg white, lightly beaten; sesame or caraway seeds or coarse salt. Method: Add yeast and honey to warm water in a large bowl. When it bubbles, add salt, whole wheat flour, onion and enough white flour to make a soft dough. Knead till smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise till doubled, about an hour. Punch down, and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each into a long breadstick shape and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. (You’ll need two large baking sheets to hold the breadsticks.) Let rise till light, about half an hour. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with seeds or coarse salt. Put a pan of hot water on the floor of your oven. (This helps make a crisp crust.) Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. If you make these in advance, reheat briefly in a hot oven before serving. You can also add herbs such as dill, parsley, basil, whatever, if you like.

Breadsticks. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons active dry yeast, 1 cup warm water, 1½ tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons oregano, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 4 tablespoons salad oil, 3 1/3 cups flour, mozzarella cheese, more oil, more salt and garlic. Method: Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, salt, oregano, garlic powder and oil. Stir in flour. Dump dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Grease bowl and return the dough to it. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with a layer of oil. Pull smaller lumps of dough off of the main lump and roll or twist into desired breadstick shape. Roll the breadstick in the oil on the pan. Repeat until all the dough is in breadstick form on the pan. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and garlic powder, then sprinkle with desired amount of mozzarella cheese. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until brown underneath and lightly brown on top.

Crispy Ranch Breadsticks. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons dry ranch party dip mix, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 package (10 ounces) refrigerated pizza dough, melted butter. Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Combine dip mix and sour cream in small bowl; set aside. Unroll pizza dough on lightly floured work surface. Shape dough into 16 by 10-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Spread dip mixture evenly over top of dough; cut into 24 (10-inch long) strips. Form into desired shapes. Place breadsticks ½ inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or place on wire rack to cool.

Variation: for Crispy, Spiced Nut Breadsticks: Place 1 cup finely chopped pecans and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in plastic bag; toss to coat. Combine ¼ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon curry powder, 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon and dash of ground red pepper in small bowl. Add to nuts; toss to coat. Place nuts in small pan over medium heat and stir constantly until nuts are lightly toasted. Sprinkle nut mixture with 1 teaspoon garlic salt; cool to room temperature. Instead of spreading pizza dough in above recipe with sour cream mixture, sprinkle ½ cup spiced nuts over dough (store remaining nuts in tightly covered container). Cut into 24 (10-inch long) strips. Form into desired shapes. Bake as directed.

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