If you've ever enjoyed soft breadsticks at Pizza Hut, you'll recognize these. The best part is, you can have homemade breadsticks on the table in under 90 minutes, with just about 10 minutes of actual "hands-on" time. These are wonderful served with marinara sauce (as they are in restaurants), or dipped in your favorite flavored olive oil.
Lightly grease an 18" x 13" pan (half sheet pan), and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom.
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.
Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, spreading it nearly to the edges. Oiling your fingers helps with the job.
Use a rolling pizza wheel or knife to score the dough in 3/4" to 1" wide crosswise strips, to make 13"-long strips. Score the dough once lengthwise, so that you now have 6 1/2"-long strips. Cover the pan, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour, till it's puffy.
While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with pizza seasoning, and/or the dried herbs of your choice.
Bake the breadsticks untill they're a very light golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Remove the breadsticks from the oven, and carefully lift it out of the pan onto a rack.
As soon as you can handle it, cut the bread along the score lines. A pair of scissors works well here.
Place the breadsticks back on their baking pan, on edge. You can put them close together. Return them to the oven, and bake for 5 minutes (for soft breadsticks), or 10 minutes (for breadsticks that can stand up to a stiffer dip).
Remove the breadsticks from the oven, and serve warm, or at room temperature.
For REALLY soft breadsticks, bake the bread, cut it into strips, and serve immediately; don't bake further.
