Bread Sticks

We really miss Olive Garden here! They shut down their restaurants here about 12 or so years ago. We used to go there all the time we craved Italian food. And I was absolutely in love with their salad and bread sticks. I used to doggy bag the entrée and fill up myself on salad and bread only! Even now, whenever we are in the USA, we make sure to visit Olive Garden. Although it's not the same anymore. Their portions have become smaller and prices have gone higher. Still I am in love with their pastas and soups and salad and bread stick. This was my attempt to make the similar bread sticks at home and I guessed I aced it. I've made it now for so many times, I can do it without even looking at the recipe. Before I kept on trying with various portions of the basic bread stick ingredients and then I found the exact measurements and the temperature of the oven to make the bread sticks. Every time I make it, I can't believe how easy this is to prepare. And the joy to share it on the dinner table is out of this world. We have it with salad, soup and saucy pasta. They just come in handy to wipe all the goodness off from the bottom of the plate!

Here's how I make them.

Bread Sticks

Ingredients
4 cups all purpose flour
1-1/3 cup warm water
1 tbsp yeast
2 tsp salt or as needed
1/4 cup olive oil
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning-both as required
Melted butter to brush the sticks

How to:

Place all the ingredients up to olive oil in the food processor. Make the smooth dough by kneading it for about 5 minutes. Let your food processor do the work.

Make about 24 balls and roll them on the counter to make sticks. Place them on the baking tray, covered with the plastic wrap until they rise, almost double in size.

Preheat the oven to 425° F. place a container of boiling water in the oven so that the bread sticks will stay soft. Brush the sticks with melted butter and bake for 5 minutes. Take them out, brush again with melted butter, sprinkle garlic powder and seasoning and bake for another 5-7 minutes. They are done to serve.

Just brush them again with the melted butter and enjoy piping hot bread sticks with soup, salad, pasta or just dip them in the hot Marinara sauce!