The Magical Ingredients for a Wholesome Life From the Heart of my Home: Heart "Beet" Sticks

Thezs are best, soft, and delicious breadsticks made with roasted beets that are heart shaped. With this amazing shape and vibrant color, these breadsticks are an amazing one to make for a Valentine meal. These breadsticks will tell your loved ones how much you love them or how your heart beats for them. These easily pair with a delicious soup or salad, or pasta. Serve these with pesto or any other dip for an appetizer. Did I say these breadsticks are vegan?

Yes, these breadsticks are vegan and made using extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil imparts a delicious flavor to these breadsticks. These breadsticks are also brushed with olive oil after baking. The basil-garlic-olive oil gives extra boost. This is optional but recommended. Instead of brushing, any herbs or garlic powder can be sprinkled while rolling to a rope for shaping. The toppings stick to the dough easily for uniform distribution. Any herbs, seeds, or cheese can be used too!

Roasted beet puree gives the best color to the breadsticks. I have tried with beet powder, the color of the bread will not be this vibrant. Fresh beetroot adds lovely color, but adds to the moisture. Therefore the flour required to make the dough varies with whether fresh roasted beet puree or beet powder is used. The ingredients required for both the methods are listed in this recipe and you can choose based on what you have on hand.

We are having the theme "Breadsticks" this month in our bread bakers group. Karen is hosting the event. The breadsticks can be soft, crispy, sweet, or savory, with seeds, cheese, or plain. There are numerous options to make breadsticks. This breadstick made with roasted beetroot puree and shaped into heart or heart shaped breadsticks is my share.

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

This bread is naturally colored using beets. Like this, there are many ways to color breads naturally and at the same time flavoring the breads, making amazing, and one of a kind bread loaves. Matcha Orange Loaf, and Matcha and Strawberry Cream Melon Pan are colored and flavored with Matcha powder. Multigrain Carrot Rolls get the vibrant orange with carrot juice. Turmeric can also be used to flavor and color the bread. This Spiced Up Potato, Turmeric, and Oat bread is a delicious one!

I am also linking this to Sundays on Silverado, What's For Dinner, and Happiness is Homemade.

Ingredients

If using Roasted beet puree

Makes 12 breadsticks

All purpose flour - 2.5 cups

Salt - 1 tsp

Olive oil - 4 tbsp

Active dry yeast - 1.5 tsp

Water - 1/2 cup

Maple syrup - 1 tbsp

Roasted beet puree - 4 tbsp

If using beet powder
Makes 10

All purpose flour - 2 cups

Salt - 1 tsp

Olive oil - 4 tbsp

Active dry yeast - 1.5 tsp

Water - 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp

Maple syrup - 1 tbsp

Beet powder - 2 tbsp

Aquafaba - 1 tbsp for brushing

Brushing oil (optional)

Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Basil - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/8 tsp

Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp

Method

Activate the yeast with warm water and maple syrup. Add oil, activated yeast, roasted beet puree or beet powder, salt to the bread machine followed by flour. Set it in dough cycle. The dough would have doubled in size after an hour of resting.

Transfer the dough to a well floured surface. Punch and knead the dough to a smooth ball.

Divide the dough to 12 balls (10 if using beet powder method). Take one portion of the dough and make a long rope of 12-14-in. Bring the edges together and make a heart shape. Transfer to a cornmeal dusted baking sheet. The shaping can be done on the sheet too.

If no shaping is desired, just roll them to 10-in and continue with the next steps for simple breadsticks.