Making breadsticks is a labour of love. This recipe is a nice addition to the aperitivo table, as you can prepare it ahead or offer the ingredients and invite guests to assemble it themselves. Serve alongside fresh fruit such as figs, cherries and melon, and don't forget a good bottle of wine or two.
- Prep time 20 minutes
- Total time 2 hours & 30 minutes
- Portion size 16 servings
Ingredients
Method
In liquid measure, stir sugar with water until dissolved; sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.
In bowl, stir together flour, Asiago, fennel seeds, salt and hot pepper flakes; stir in 2 tbsp of the oil. Stir in yeast mixture to form ragged dough.
Turn out onto lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, dusting with more flour as necessary, 2 to 3 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly floured work surface; divide into 16 pieces. With fingertips, roll each piece into 10-inch long rope. Arrange on parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Brush with remaining oil.
Bake in 375°F oven, rotating halfway through, until edges are crisp and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Separate prosciutto slices. Working with 1 slice at a time, arrange a few arugula leaves over top; place tip of breadstick on top and roll prosciutto around breadstick, enclosing arugula. Repeat with remaining breadsticks, prosciutto and arugula.
Tip from The Test Kitchen: Bake breadsticks for up to four days ahead. Assemble up to one hour before serving.
Nutritional facts Per serving: about
- Fibre 0 g
- Sodium 344 mg
- Sugars 0 g
- Protein 5 g
- Calories 90
- Total fat 5 g
- Potassium 90 mg
- Cholesterol 15 mg
- Saturated fat 1 g
- Total carbohydrate 6 g
%RDI
- Iron 4
- Folate 7
- Calcium 3
- Vitamin A 1
