These long, crispy bread sticks are a lovely accompaniment to any soup, including Mario Batali's vegetable-and-farro version. Batali makes the bread sticks with leaves from the lightly bitter Mediterranean herb myrtle; crushed juniper berries are a good substitute. He also seasons the grissini with cayenne pepper, one of his favorite spices; he keeps it in a salt shaker so it's easy to dispense.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed or ground to a powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• Cayenne pepper, for dusting

Directions

• In a large bowl, stir the water with 1/2 cup of the flour, the honey, and the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour, the olive oil, juniper, and salt and knead until a smooth dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Punch down the dough and cut it into 4 equal pieces. On a floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough to a 6-by-10-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangles lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Arrange the strips on the prepared sheets and sprinkle lightly with cayenne pepper. Let stand until puffed, about 15 minutes.
• Bake the grissini for about 15 minutes, until golden brown; switch the pans halfway through baking. Let the grissini cool and crisp on the baking sheet before serving.

MAKE AHEAD

• The grissini can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Rewarm in a 350 degrees oven for about 3 minutes before serving.