Armenian Choereg (Breadsticks) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs flour or 8 -9 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup scalded milk
1 (1/4 ounce) package yeast
1/2 cup warm water (about 105 degrees)
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 lb butter
1/2 tablespoon nigella seeds (black seeds)
2 eggs
1 beaten egg
sesame seeds

Preparation

Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Heat milk and turn off heat. Add butter and Crisco to melt and cool milk.
If you have a large Kitchen Aid Mixer, add all ingredients except beaten egg and sesame seeds. If not, you will need to mix all in a large bowl and knead by hand.
Add enough flour to make a soft slightly sticky dough.
Knead 10 minutes in mixer or with oiled hands.
Allow to rise until double in bulk. Around 2 hours.
Oil hands and punch down. Pull off a hunk of dough and roll out with your hands to a long rope.
Slice on the diagonal in 5 inch pieces. Make sticks or circles or braid three pieces together, if desired.
Place on a cookie sheet an inch apart.
Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until light brown.