Multigrain Breadsticks

There's a cold snap here, and it suddenly feels like winter. That means I'm making soup and salad, which I think tastes best with a breadstick. It's hard to find whole grain or multigrain breadsticks anywhere, except in our home kitchens. Here's a recipe that includes whole grains and multigrain in a breadstick. I make a full batch, then freeze the leftovers. I just pop them in the toaster to reheat them the next time I'm serving a soup that needs a breadstick.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fat free milk
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. very warm water
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. better butter (or use 1 tsp. butter and 2 tsp. olive oil)
1 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
2 Tbs. cooked brown rice (or use any leftover cooked grain)
1 Tbs. wheat germ
1 Tbs. flax seed meal
1 Tbs. quick cooking farro (or use any quick cooking grain)
1 Tbs. quinoa (or use any quick cooking grain)
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. (2-1/4 tsp.) yeast

1 egg white
2 Tbs. water
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sea salt, Parmesan cheese, or garlic salt as toppings

I used the convenience of a bread machine. If you have one, add the ingredients into the mixing pan in the order given. Set the machine on the dough cycle.

If you don't have a bread machine, mix the water with the yeast and the brown sugar in a small bowl. The water should be about 100 to 120F. The mixture will be foamy if the yeast is good. If not, toss it out and start over with fresh yeast, water and sugar. Pour the yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to mix well. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, cover and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. Punch down, and proceed through the remainder of the recipe.

Remove the dough from the bread machine. Knead for 1 minute to combine. The dough may be sticky. If you oil your hands, the dough won't stick to them. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. This is most easily done by dividing the dough into quarters with a knife, then dividing each quarter into fourths. Roll each portion into an 8 inch long cylinder. Lightly spray two cookie sheets with oil. Place each breadstick on a cookie sheet. Mix the egg white with the water, then brush the top of each breadstick with the mixture. Sprinkle with your topping of choice. Set the cookie sheets on top of the oven, or in a warm place for about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Cook the breadsticks for 12-15 minutes, until the tops begin to turn golden brown. They will be soft inside.

If you like hard breadsticks, roll them into 12 inch long sticks, then cook at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes. Cook until the tops turn golden brown.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: I've used some white flour in these breadsticks so that they'd rise well, and have a nice "crumb". If you like a denser grain, feel free to use all whole wheat flour. The more whole grains we consume, the better!