Yogurt Raita with Hot Pepper Grissini

To serve six, scoop a well into a 2 1/4 pound (1 k, 8 1/3 cups) mound of flour on your work surface and crumble into it 1 ounce baker's yeast (25 grams, use a cake of live yeast), a tablespoon of marine salt, and 2 teaspoons sugar. Add a pint (500 ml) of warm water a bit at a time, working the dough with your fingers to dissolve the yeast, and then add 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Spread it out with your palms and dust it with 15 seeded, ribbed and minced little wonder or similar hot peppers (use gloves when you cut the peppers). Form the dough back into a ball and knead it briefly, then shape it into an elongate loaf, put it on a lightly greased board, cover it with wrap, and let it rest for a half hour.

In the mean time blend 8 ounces (200 g) of plain Greek yogurt with 12 ounces (300 g) feta cheese and 4 ounces (100 g) mascarpone (use mild cream cheese if need be). Pepper the mixture to taste and incorporate a healthy bunch of coarsely chopped coriander leaves (use cilantro if need be) and 1/2 teaspoon of black mustard seeds. You now have your Raita; set it in the refrigerator to chill.

Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).

Remove the plastic wrap from the dough and cut it lengthwise into 1-inch diameter sections. Pick up the first piece of dough from the ends and separate your arms, allowing its weight to stretch it until it has doubled in length (it should be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick). Lay the grissino on a greased cookie sheet and make another, leaving about an inch between grissini on the sheet. Bake them for 15 minutes, let them cool on a rack, and serve them with the raita.

Note: If you would rather mild grissini omit the hot peppers.