Braided Breadsticks with left over pizza dough

Made these crispy braided breadsticks with leftover pizza dough. I usually freeze the left over pizza. But this time, I wanted to try making bread sticks. My first attempt at baking breadstick and with braids. :) It was little time consuming when I made the very first braid. But once you get the technique of making braids, it is so easy and addictive. I had fun making them and kids totally loved it. Kids helped me rolling the pizza dough into strips and they were watching me make these braids. Totally worth the effort !

I served breadsticks with sweet corn and green peas soup. It was a healthy and quite satisfying/ filling meal combo. I will definitely make them often.

Ingredients

• 1 and 3/4 Cups of All Purpose Flour / Maida
• 1 and 1/2 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
• 1 Tablespoon Granulated White Sugar
• 1/2 Cup + 2 tablespoons of Warm Water
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Directions

1. In a microwave safe mug, add 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon of water. Heat on high on microwave mode for 15 seconds. Check if the water is warm. Water should not be too hot. If it is too hot, yeast will not get activated

2. Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar to the warm water and give it a stir

3. Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast to the warm water and leave for 10 minutes until the yeast gets activated and the mixture becomes frothy on the top

                                


4. In a large mixing bowl, add AP flour / maida, salt, olive oil and mix gently

                                


5. Now pour the warm water to the flour and mi everything together till it comes together as a dough. If the dough is too watery, add 2 or 3 tablespoons maida and mix
6. Now knead the dough with hands for 8 minutes
7. Shape the dough in a ball and place it in a greased bowl

                               


8. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep it in a warm environment. I preheat up my oven to 180 C. Turn off the oven after 5 minutes. The oven will be hot from inside. Keep the bowl in the oven and let the dough double in volume

                              


9. Once the dough is doubled, punch it down to release the air
10. For making braided breadstick, pinch ping pong sized ball and roll it evenly to thin strip. Make 3 strips for a braided stick

                      


11. Seal the edges of three strips at one end and start braiding the strips

                         


12. Braid them loosely leaving space for the dough to expand. Once done , seal the other end of the braid too

13. Keep the braided sticks on a greased parchment paper. Let them raise and double for about 30 minutes

 
14. Preheat the oven to 200 C , transfer the parchment paper along with braided breadsticks to a baking tray / cookies sheet and bake at 200 C for 15 minutes or until the edges are nice golden and the sticks are crispy

15. Serve warm with soup