Quick and easy snacks

Breadsticks

MAKES 80 SMALL BREADSTICKS

I love making these - they're so much better than the bought version. They also freeze very well raw, and can be cooked straight from the freezer. Great to serve with soups, salads, Herb and Fennel Seed Oil, pesto, hummus, a good olive oil or just on their own! This recipe makes about 80 small bread sticks, but I often make some calzones, pizzas or just plain white yeast bread with the dough, too. If you just want to make breadsticks, you could halve the recipe.

FOR THE TOPPINGS, USE ANY OF OR A COMBINATION OF:
Sea salt
Chopped rosemary or thyme
Crushed cumin seeds or coriander seeds
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds
Dried chilli pepper flakes
Roughly ground black pepper
Finely grated parmesan cheese, mixed with a pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7. Make pizza dough (recipe in Rachel's book) and divide it into small balls of about 15-20g (½-¾oz) each. On a clean, dry work surface (you shouldn't need any flour), using your hands, roll each ball into thin breadsticks, about 1-1½cm (½inch) thick. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil on the work surface and roll your breadsticks in that to 'wet' them, then roll them for a second in the chosen topping(s). Place on a baking tray brushed with water and bake for anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on how thick they are - you want them to be quite crisp and golden.