BLACK OLIVE TWISTS

Black Olive Twists image

Yield Makes 12 soft breadsticks

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 lb frozen pizza dough, thawed
2 tablespoons prepared black olive paste (preferably not tapenade)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
parchment paper

Steps:

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment.
Cut dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 10-inch-long rope on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands, stretching as needed, then pat lightly to flatten slightly.
Spread top of each rope with 1/2 teaspoon olive paste, then fold in half. Let stand, uncovered, 10 minutes.
Working with 1 piece at a time, twist folded dough, stretching it slightly, into a 6-inch twist, then transfer to 1 of 2 baking sheets, pressing ends lightly onto parchment to keep twists from untwisting.
Brush twists generously with egg white and sprinkle with fennel, cumin, and kosher salt, pressing to help adhere.
Bake twists, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 22 to 24 minutes total. Transfer twists to a rack and cool to just warm.