Ingredients

• 1  16-ounce loaf frozen white or whole wheat bread dough, thawed
• 2  tablespoons salt
• 3  quarts boiling water
• 1  egg white, slightly beaten
• 1  tablespoon water
•   Coarse salt
•   Sesame seed, poppy seed, dried dillweed, or coarsely ground pepper

Directions

1. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets; set aside.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll thawed dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle, occasionally stopping and letting dough rest, if necessary. Cut into twenty-four 4x1-inch strips.

3. Carefully place strips on prepared baking sheets. Bake in a 475 degree F oven for 4 minutes. Remove from oven. Lower oven temperature to 350 degree F.

4. In a Dutch oven or kettle dissolve the 2 tablespoons salt in the boiling water. Lower a few strips into boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes, turning once. Using a slotted spoon, remove from water and drain on paper towels. Let stand a few seconds. Place about 1/2 inch apart on the well-greased baking sheets.

5. In a small mixing bowl stir together egg white and 1 tablespoon water. Brush strips with some of the egg white mixture. Sprinkle strips lightly with coarse salt. Then sprinkle with sesame seed, poppy seed, dillweed, or coarsely ground pepper.

6. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

7. To serve (or give as gift), thaw 2 hours at room temperature or wrap in foil and heat in a 350 degree F oven for 5 to 10 minutes until warm.

To present this gift...
For the tag, cut two small rectangles from paper, one slightly smaller. Glue the paper pieces together, centering the small over the larger piece. Let glue dry. Cut small pieces of rickrack to frame the small piece of paper. Glue in place. Let glue dry. Use a paper punch to add a hole to one corner. Thread with ribbon to attach to gift.