---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.04

     Title: Olive oil and fennel bread sticks
Categories: Breads
     Yield: 3 Dozen

   3/4 c  Warm water
   3/4 c  Warm beer
     1 pt Dry yeast
   3/4 c  Olive oil( good quality! )
     1 tb Fennel seeds
 1 1/2 ts Salt
 4 1/2 c  Flour( approx )
          Glaze:
     1    Egg
     1 tb Water

 I love the taste of fennel and extra virgin olive oil.

 Dissolve yeast in warm water and warm beer for 10
 minutes or until very foamy. Add olive oil, salt and
 fennel seeds. Mix in 3 1/2 cups flour and knead until
 smooth and elastic adding more flour as needed to
 prevent stickiness.Place dough in oiled bowl, cover
 and let rise double. Punch down dough and divide into
 12 balls and divide each ball into 4 pieces. Roll each
 piece into a long rope and place on greased baking
 sheets at least 1 inch apart. Brush with egg
 glaze.Bake immediately, 350 until golden about 30
 minutes. Note: I also like to sprinkle on rosemary,
 anise or other seeds on the dough.Plus I make my bread
 sticks larger by dividing the 12 balls of dough in 2
 or 3 pieces instead of 4. And I also like to brush on
 extra virgin olive oil instead of the egg wash over
 the breadsticks prior to baking them.then you have to
 turn them over during baking and brush more oil on
 them to brown the other side. I like the taste good
 olive oil gives!

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