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Spicy Cornmeal Breadsticks with Graviera Cheese and Tomato Chutney

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Spicy breadsticks

When Zorra of Kocktopf, invited  me on Facebook, to participate to the  Bread Baking event,  I wasn’t sure what to make but I decided to take the challenge.  This month’s theme is breadsticks and according to our host,  Marion  it doesn’t matter if they are thick, thin, long, short, straight or crooked, as long as the bread or rolls are shaped as a stick. Thanks for hosting the event Marion and for the lovely idea.

Bread Baking Day #70 - Brotstangen / Breadsticks (last day of submission Sept 1, 2014)

I like to improvise with ingredients I already have at home and at the time I had cornmeal and all purpose flour, Greek cheese graviera and I had recently made an amazing tomato and fruit chutney (sorry recipe not posted yet but you can use store bought chutney).  Tomato and cheese are lovely combined together, so why not make spicy and hot cheese and tomato chutney breadsticks?

I have made breadsticks, or grissini  (bâtons salés) in the past and I loved the spicy glystarkes I had made. The addition of cheese, spicy chutney but also the whole peppers,  made them extra hot and spicy and very delicious and addictive. The length of each stick is up to you. I made18 cm (7 inch) strips and after putting them in the sesame, I put them in the baking tray and made some long and others I cut them in the middle.

spicy cornmeal bread sticks with graviera cheese and tomato chutney

I also tried twisting them as well but it took more time so I decided to continue with the more simple ones.

Twisting breadsticks

When they are baked they are still a little bit soft inside.  I like the breadsticks to be crunchy, wo what I did was to put them on a tray and cover it with tulle, so that no flies or other insects would sit on them and let them in the sun for a couple of hours to dry out.

 

drying in the sun

 During August, with the temperatures ranging from 35 – 40oC in Greece, that is easily done.  However, if when making them the temperature does not allow that, you can easily do this in the oven.    Let them cool and give them a second time baking in a low temperature at around 120oC / 250oF, for half an hour.

 collage how to make breadsticks

Unfortunately, as I said they are so additive, you cannot eat just one.  We love to munch them with dips as an accompaniment to a glass of beer or wine or as a snack with a cup of Greek coffee.  During winter you can even eat them with soups.

Spicy, Cheesy Cornmeal Breadsticks with Graviera and Tomato Chutney

Preparation time:  30 minutes

Resting time:  30 minutes

Baking time:  15 minutes  

Ingredients:  

Yeast starter:

  • 16 grams dried or 50 grams fresh yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • ¼ cup lukewarm water

Bread sticks:

  • 500 grams corn meal
  • 500 grams bread flour (or all purpose flour)
  • 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns, coarsley crushed
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • All above yeast starter
  • 1/3 cup tomato chutney
  • 125 grams graviera cheese
  • 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water (35o C /95oF)

For topping:

  • 100 grams sesame seeds

Directions:

  1. Add yeast, flour, sugar and water in a bowl.  Cover with a napkin and let it rise in a warm environment until it bubbles.
  2. Put the flour, salt and olive oil in the bowl of your stand mixer and using the hook mix at low speed until they are well combined.  Add the remaining ingredients and keep mixing on low speed.  Add water gradually and continue mixing until the dough becomes soft but does not stick to the bowl sides.
  3. Cover and set aside until it rises.
  4. Knead it a few times to deflate.
  5. Take a piece of dough, about the size of a fist and using a rolling pin, form into a flat piece of dough about 1/4th inch thick or ½ cm.
  6. Cut ½ inch stripes and dip them in the sesame seeds.
  7. Put them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.  It is not necessary to space them apart.
  8. Preheat oven to 170oC / 338oF and bake for fifteen minutes or until golden.
  9. Let them cool and dry them either in the sun or in the oven.

spicy cornmeal bread sticks

You can find many more Greek recipes in my cookbook “More Than A Greek Salad”, and “Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!” both available on all Amazon stores.

 

Other relevant recipes:

Glystarkes

Koulouria Thessalonikis

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,

 

 

 

 


Kopiaste


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Taste of Beirut

Wednesday 3rd of September 2014

That does look addictive! Can't wait to try them myself! Maybe will sprinkle them with some dried zaatar.

Ivy

Wednesday 3rd of September 2014

That would be a great addition Joumana.

MaRa

Monday 1st of September 2014

Hallo Ivy, something must gone wrong. I already wrote a comment here, but I cannot see or read it here. So I will tell you again, that I really like your recipe of breadsticks. Best wishes MaRa

Ivy

Monday 1st of September 2014

Thank you MaRa.

Rosa

Friday 29th of August 2014

A fantastic idea! A delicious snack.

Cheers,

Rosa

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