Breadsticks with seasoned olive oil!!!

Everyone in our house knows that Amma loves breadsticks. I think I've mentioned this before, but trust me, I could say it over and over again but it would not properly quantify her love for breadsticks! Sometimes I often feel that she orders pizzas from Dominos just to eat the breadsticks. Once Amma was craving breadsticks so much I could see it in her eyes. So, when I went out with my best friend Sabina I decided to surprise Amma by buying her a box of breadsticks on my way back home. Usually you just call Dominos and "POOF!", they bring it over, hot and fresh. But, when I went there and ordered it myself I actually got to partake in the process of how they actually create the oh so tempting breadsticks. In the Indiranagar branch of Dominos, you can watch what happens in the kitchen from where you order. I thought that they would just plop a piece of dough on a tray and bake it. But instead they have one of those squirt bottles that they use for mustard, but at Dominos they fill it with butter (well, not butter really, it's dalda and I hate dalda!). The guy then began to meticulously squirt the pan with a gallon of dalda. After which he plopped this heavy dough into the pan; at this point the dalda is going crazy and is all over the place including the hands of the person making it and then you'd at least think he would gently slip the pan into the oven, but NO! He shoved it with a hard push! And, the dalda once again spilled all over the place. It was almost like they were emphasizing on how much dalda they used. Once it came out, the man crudely brushed the breadsticks with more dalda and threw on some seasoning, cut it up, and put it in a box. I asked the man through the window why he seemed to be using so much dalda; he simply answered my question in two words, "more flavour." Since I had already paid for the breadsticks I picked up the box in disgust and left without arguing. When I went home I told my Amma about my painful experience but since there was no where else to get breadsticks from and since she loved them so much, it was hard for her not to eat them. She did cringe, and she did get a little upset by my story, but at the end of the day she knew that breadsticks were her weakness and a little bit of indulgence would not hurt anybody. Also, everyone knows when you order anything from a fast food restaurant you are not going to get the healthiest of foods. You order them anyway because they are just so delicious! If I made this when I was back at home, my Amma would've stopped ordering breadsticks and would've preferred this version of it better. Well, this recipe is just for my Amma, and for those like her who absolutely love breadsticks. Trust me, these are the softest, chewiest, yummiest breadsticks ever! Sorry, pardon my enthusiasm and lack of modesty, it's just that when I made them, I was honestly surprised that home-made breadsticks could taste that good. These were really melt in the mouth and they are definitely a must try! Once you try it I'm sure you'll get hooked. The recipe is very simple and it doesn't take time to rise the dough. By the time you cook your pasta your breadsticks should be ready. Imagine having a party and actually being able to say that you made the breadsticks; that's just amazing! OK, now I'm going overboard, so here's the recipe:

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of warm water
• 3 cups of flour
• 2 and 1/2 tsps of yeast
• 3 tbsps of brown sugar
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/4 cup of olive oil

For seasoning:

• 3 tbsps of olive oil
• 5 cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 3-4 tsps of chopped basil
• 1-2 tsps of fresh or dry oregano

Directions:

• Mix all the ingredients for the bread together. Knead well till you get a smooth dough (this might take about 5 minutes)
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• Roll the dough out into a rectangle of 10 inches by 12 inches
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• Cut the rectangle into strips.
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• Take each strip of dough, twist it gently a couple times and then place onto a well greased baking sheet.
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• Let the breadsticks rise for about 20 minutes.
• Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 degrees Celsius for at least 10-15 minutes till the breadsticks have browned very slightly on the top.
• While the breadsticks are baking you can prepare the seasoning, which is fairly simple.
• Just heat the olive oil and add the the basil, garlic and oregano and let the flavours melt into the oil. Do not heat for too long as the seasoning might burn.
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• Once the breadsticks are done, brush generous amounts of the seasoning over the breadsticks. You can also sprinkle some Parmesan cheese if you wish.
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• Done!