In the bowl of stand mixer, add the warm water and olive oil or butter. Pour the milled flour over the liquids and mix on speed 1 just until the dough comes together and there are no dry bits of dough remaining.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let soak or autolyse for 30 minutes.

While the dough is soaking, measure your salt and yeast in a small bowl.

Fresh milled flour tip: Because fresh milled flour absorbs water more slowly than store-bought flour, this soaking period is imperative for good dough development. The bran and germ in fresh milled flour softens during this Autolyse period making the gluten easier to develop.

After the dough has soaked for 30 minutes, pour the yeast and salt over the dough.

Turn on speed 2 and let the dough knead for 6-8 minutes checking the dough after 6 minutes for gluten development.

To check for development, spritz your hands with a bit of water and tear a small piece of dough off. Stretch this piece of dough between your fingers and if it stretches without tearing right away, it is kneaded properly.

Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, punch down the dough ball and transfer it to a silicone baking mat or a very lightly floured surface.

You have 2 options for shaping:

Roll the dough out into a rectangle that is approximately 1/2 inch thick. (You can always make this thicker if you prefer). Score the rectangle in half lengthwise and then score each half into several breadsticks. These can be as big or as small as you wish. Transfer these to a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a towel.

Divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a log shape and place each one on the parchment lined baking sheet to rise covered with a towel.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Smaller breadsticks will bake a bit more quickly so check after 15 minutes.