Green Olive Breadsticks

This is a very easy recipe for soft breadsticks that are great on their own as a snack, or eaten with dip or oil and vinegar. I found this recipe in Paul Hollywood’s “How To Bake” but used fewer olives than the recipe said: instead of 500g I used a 340g jar, just because that was the size of jar I happened to have in my cupboard. It turned out to be plenty. The jar gave a drained weight of 165g if you find that is easier. I also recommend using a mixer and dough hook for this recipe as it is a very wet dough.

I am currently trying to use up a lot of jars and tins in my cupboards as I will be moving house in less than 2 weeks. And having really done very little by way of preparation for the move I am in a slight panic! Just to add a bit of extra stress I am moving out of the house I am renting and going on holiday before moving into the house I am buying. And that is only if the house purchase goes through without delay… So I apologise in advance for late or missing blog posts for the next month or so!

Baking is a great way to relieve stress for me so while I may not have packed up the house, I do have some delicious breadsticks…

Recipe

Ingredients

500g strong white bread flour

10g salt

10g instant yeast

400ml water

2 tablespoons olive oil

165g green olives (340g jar of olives in brine, drained)

Semolina

Method

Put the flour into the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook and add the salt to one side and the yeast to the other.

Add three quarters of the water and start mixing on a slow speed.

As the dough comes together, slowly add the remaining water.

Mix for around 5-8 minutes on medium speed.

Add the olive oil and mix for another two minutes.

Add the olives and mix until well distributed.

Put the dough into a large oiled bowl: cover with a tea towel or some oiled clingfilm.

Leave for the first rise

Leave for at least an hour, until tripled in size.

Ready to shape into breadsticks

Line three or four baking trays with baking parchment or silicone paper.

Dust the work surface heavily with flour and semolina also, if you have any.

Carefully tip the dough out and handle very gently so as to keep the air in it.

Dust the surface of the dough with flour and semolina and stretch it out to a rough rectangle.

Flatten into a rectangle

Cut the dough into about fifteen strips, stretch them out if necessary and put them on the baking trays, leaving space between them.

Leave to rise again

Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for around 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 220ºC.

Bake the bread sticks for around 10-15 minutes, until they start to go golden brown and the base sounds hollow when tapped.

Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Categories: Baking, Bread, Recipes, Starters and snacks, Vegetables

Tags: baking, bread, bread making, green olives, loaf, olives, Paul Hollywood, recipe, yeast