Garlic Breadsticks

Combine the yeast, warm water, and sugar in your mixing bowl. The water should not be steaming, but if you stick a finger in, it should be pretty warm to the touch. Too hot will kill the yeast. Gently whisk until everything is dissolved, then set it aside for about 10-15 minutes.

After the yeast has had 10-15 minutes to activate, it should be slightly foamy. Carefully start to add your flour mixture to the bowl and mix together. It may be a little lumpy at first, but don't worry about that. Keep mixing and adding flour until you've got a dough ball starting to form. At this point I usually dump it onto the counter and start kneading.

Knead for a couple minutes, then sprinkle in your herb blend, if you're using one. I knead, sprinkle, knead, sprinkle, knead, sprinkle, then dump the last of it on and knead some more.

Keep kneading the dough until elastic and smooth, but don't go too long or it won't rise well. When you first think you're done kneading, and there are no lumps, you're good.

Put the dough ball in a bowl that has been oiled in olive oil. Roll the dough around so it's lightly covered in the oil. Pop some cling wrap over the top, and let it rise for at least two hours.

After 2 hours of rising, punch the dough down and let it rise for another hour or two.

Cover and let rise again for another 2 or so hours

Bake for about 7-8 minutes. Optional: At about 8 minutes in, brush with garlic butter if you want buttery breadsticks.

Rotate the baking sheets in the oven, and let it all bake for another 5-8 minutes, or until they start getting golden brown on the top. Once done, I lay mine out on a tea towel to cool, but a wire rack would work too.