I’ve adapted my usual focaccia bread recipe for these delicious breadsticks, which are lovely and light. Ideal to snack on, dip into oils, dips or with soup.

Makes 16.

Ingredients

500g/1lb 2oz strong white bread flour
10g/2 tsp dried yeast
8g/1½ tsp salt
40ml/3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary
150g/5¼ oz pitted olives, cut into halves or quarters if large
370ml/13 fl oz water
Flour and semolina flour for dusting

Method

1. Tip the flour, yeast, chopped rosemary, salt and olive oil into a mixing bowl. Gradually pour in the water and bring it all together to form a dough. Knead for about 10 minutes. I use my stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead for 8 minutes as it is a fairly wet dough.

2. Once the dough is smooth and stretchy, add in the chopped olives and gently knead into the dough.

3. Place into a large bowl, lightly oiled and covered with a clean tea towel to prove for about 2 hours until it has doubled in size.

4. It’s time to get your BBQ/grill lit – you want it at a temperature of 180°C/356°F and set up for indirect cooking.

5. Sprinkle your work surface with a dusting of flour and semolina. Gently cut the risen dough in half and tip it out on to the work surface. Handle it carefully as you don’t want to knock out the air.

6. With your fingertips, carefully stretch the dough into a rectangle about 18cm x 28cm. It doesn’t need to be exact as the breadsticks are quite rustic in appearance. You can make them as thick and as long as you like.

7. Take a bread cutter or sharp knife and cut it shortways into 8 strips.

8. Stretch carefully with your fingers and place on to a lined baking tray so it nearly reaches end to end lengthways. You only need four on a tray as they spread a little. Place this into your BBQ to cook and continue to stretch the remaining strips of dough on to another lined baking tray. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough.

9. Cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap to stop them drying out while the first batch is cooking.

10. Check the breadsticks after about 20 minutes. They should be lightly coloured underneath and firm enough to handle. I turned them over at this point to help colour the tops. Leave them for a further 10 minutes until they are nicely coloured on both sides and sound hollow when tapped.

11. Place on to a cooling tray to cool and put the next baking tray in the BBQ to cook. Repeat for the two remaining baking trays. These are delicious eaten while still warm and also just as tasty when eaten cold.

More recipes from Sue Stoneman