SEEDED BREAD STICKS WITH PARMESAN

Serves: 6-10

■ 2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface

■ 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole wheat, rye, spelt or buckwheat flour (or more all-purpose)

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) active dry yeast

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) kosher salt

■ 1/3 cup (80 ml) white and/or black sesame seeds

■ 1/4 cup (60 ml) poppy seeds

■ 1 cup (250 ml) finely grated Parmesan, plus more for finishing

■ 3/4 cup (180 ml) warmish water

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, plus more for bowl

■ Flaky sea salt

1. Whisk the flours, yeast and kosher salt in a large bowl to combine.

2. Add the sesame and poppy seeds, and the Parmesan.

3. Make a well in the centre and drizzle in the lukewarm water, followed by the olive oil.

4. Using a wooden spoon (or your hands), mix until no dry spots remain and the dough still feels a bit sticky, 1-2 minutes.

5. Transfer the dough to a welloiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic.

6. Let rest at room temperature until not quite but nearly doubled in size, 60-90 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

7. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and, using the palms of your hands, flatten into a rectangle roughly 8-by-4 inches (20-by-10 cm).

8. Using a pastry scraper, bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough vertically into strips about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick (you’ll get 40-50 strips).

9. Cover the rest of the dough with a lightly damp kitchen or paper towel while you form the bread sticks (if the dough gets dry, it will be hard to roll out).

10. Roll each piece of dough onto an unfloured work surface (cutting board or countertop) until you’ve got a long, skinny bread stick shaped piece of dough. (They will puff slightly as they rest and once they bake, so go skinnier than you think — they should be thinner than a pencil.)

11. Place each strip of dough on the baking sheets, spaced 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) apart (they don’t spread much) until you’ve filled the baking sheets. Brush or drizzle the dough with some olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt and a showering of extra Parmesan.

12. Bake, rotating the sheets once, until the bread sticks are golden brown and baked through, 8-10 minutes (if there are some that are thinner than others and baking quicker, feel free to pluck them from the baking sheet and continue to bake those that need it). Let cool slightly before serving.

Note: Bread stick dough can be made up to 2 days ahead, wrapped tightly and refrigerated. Bread sticks can be baked up to 2 days ahead, kept on their baking sheets (so they don’t break), wrapped tightly with plastic and stored at room temperature.