Breadsticks with aioli

Baking is one of my favourite winter pastimes.  What I may currently be lacking in vitamin D, I fully intend to make up for with homemade treats (safe in the knowledge that I don’t need to go near a swimsuit for some months yet).  With the oven on the kitchen is warm, and the smell of fresh bread is so heavenly that it can lift even the darkest of spirits.  Crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle and served warm smothered in tangy, garlicky aioli, I think these breadsticks might be just the thing to snack on until spring breaks through.

Ingredients

Makes 16

• Breadsticks
• 2 ½ tsp active yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 cups high grade flour

• Aioli
• 1 head garlic
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 cup oil – something lightly flavoured like rice brain, canola or light olive.
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• --
• This dough can be made either in a bread-maker or by hand.

• Breadmaker
• Place all ingredients into the bread-maker and use a dough setting. Shape and bake as below.

• By hand
• 1. Measure the yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, and warm water into a large bowl with half the flour and mix thoroughly.
• 2. Cover with cling film and leave for at least fifteen minutes in a warm place.
• 3. Mix in the remaining flour, adding extra as needed, to make a soft dough.
• 4. Knead the dough for approximately ten minutes. It will get less sticky as you work and should form a soft ball which springs back when pressed gently.
• 5. Coat the dough in a little extra oil and return to the bowl, cover with cling wrap and leave in a warm place for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.
• 6. Knead the dough for a minute in the bowl to reduce the size of any big air bubbles and shape as below.

• Shape the dough
• 1. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
• 2. Divide the dough evenly into 16 pieces. Stretch and roll each piece out into sausages. Then twist and stretch each piece out to around 30cm (12 inches) long.
• 3. Place the pieces of dough 5cm apart on two lined baking trays. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for half an hour.
• 4. Preheat oven to 180ºC on Fan Bake.
• 5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
• Serve warm with aioli.

• Aioli
• 1. Drizzle garlic bulb with a little oil and bake at 180ºC for 20 minutes.
• 2. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skin. Mash into a paste with 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
• 3. In a food processor blend the egg, lemon juice and mustard together.
• 4. With a steady hand, add the oil in a slow stream while the processor is running. Blend until thick and creamy.
• 5. Lastly add the roasted garlic paste and lemon zest. Season to taste.