Pizza Breadsticks

For us lockdown has been a lot about food! Either desperately searching for items that have been of stock, suddenly changing my shopping habits to a once weekly shop without the tops ups and visits to various other supermarkets to get the items we need, making what seems like constant meals and snacks or making fun from a cookbook challenge or Friday evening restaurant at home nights.

I probably think about food more than most in having to cook for a variety of different diets, writing a blog and generally being obsessed with cooking, but that seems to have increased in lockdown! I had intended to write up more recipes, but have ended up making the dishes but not having the time to write them up…. there’s now a backlog so I’ll try and post more in the next few weeks 🙂

One thing I’m constantly searching for new snack recipes to make for the family. By avoiding milk, eggs, nuts and seeds our snack options always seem limited, but everyone needs a good snack, right? These pizza breadsticks are a really good addition, and I’d recommend them to take on a picnic or snack on with an aperitif – we had them with our ‘mocktails’ before our French bistro restaurant at home night and they went down a treat. You can either make 12 bigger softer breadsticks, or 24 smaller, crispier ones, simply make smaller and twice as many from the dough for the crunchier versions – the choice is yours!

Pizza Breadsticks

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

Makes 12 or 24 sticks

250g strong white bread flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp fast action dried yeast

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

150ml tepid water

2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsps tomato puree (if you can find sun-dried tomato puree all the better)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and salt.
2. Make a ‘well’ in the middle and pour in the water and 1 tbsp oil.
3. Mix until it comes together to form a dough. Then knead until smooth and the dough springs back when you press it.
4. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for about 1 hour.
5. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and turn the oven on to 200 degrees Centigrade/Gas Mark 6
6. In a small bowl mix together the tomato puree, oil, garlic powder, oregano and additional salt, set aside.
7. Once the dough has risen, take it out of the bowl and knock back the dough. Knead for a couple of minutes.
8. Divide into 12 (or 24) even sized pieces.
9. Roll each out into a long thin (or short thin for the smaller sticks) sausage shape and place on the parchment lined baking sheet. They don’t have to be perfect.
10. Brush with the tomato puree mix.
11. Cover lightly with a clean tea-towel and leave to rise for about half an hour.
12. Bake for 10-15 minutes until they’re turning golden and sound hollow when tapped.
13. Cool on a wire rack.
14. Best eaten fresh.