Remember those breadsticks from Olive Garden? I used to devour those things as a teen. I recently tasted them again and they kinda taste like cardboard. I am not sure if they changed the recipe or I am just so used to the actual taste of real grains that I am no longer satisfied by cheap white flour. Probably the latter. These breadsticks are super easy and very versatile. I serve them as an appetizer with marinara sauce, as a side with soup, salad, spaghetti, fettuccine, ravioli…you get the idea. They freeze well so you can keep a batch for dinner emergencies. Make them a meal by topping with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni after the initial bake.
Breadsticks
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 cup cold milk
- 1 1/2 TBS active dry yeast
- 2 TBS sweetener of choice I use honey or sucanat
- 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 4-5 cups fresh milled flour I used hard red wheat but any hard wheat will work.
- 1 TBS Italian seasoning
- 1 TBS salt If using an Italian seasoning with salt in it you will need less salt.
Topping
- flaky salt I like Maldonado brand
- parmesan cheese green can is fine or you can be fancy
- herb butter see recipe below
Herb butter
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 TBS herbs parsley, basil, oregano or a combination
Instructions
For Breadstick dough
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine water, & milk – the temperature of the liquid should be warm but not hot, if it is hotter than 110F, let it cool to between 100F-110F before adding sweetener & yeast. Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes or until foamy. If your yeast does not foam you can try adding a tsp of white sugar to see if it helps activate the yeast. If that does not work – you need new yeast.
To the foamy yeast mixture add 4 cups flour and the remaining dough ingredients. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on low speed. Once the flour starts to incorporate, increase the speed to medium. Knead in mixer for 5-6 minutes. The dough should be soft, elastic and slightly sticky but not stick to your finger when you touch it. Add more flour or water until you have reached the desired consistency, err on the side of too sticky than too dry.
Remove dough from mixing bowl, spray bowl with oil & return dough to bowl, turning so that all sides are oiled. Cover and let rise until doubled, check at 40 minutes.
Once doubled, remove dough and place on a large piece of parchment paper. Roll flat (like a pizza crust) and cut breadsticks into parallel strips using a pizza cutter, then cut in half horizonatally, making breadsticks short. Do not pull the bread apart. Top with herb butter and other toppings and let rise for 15 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400F for 15-20 minutes
Pull apart and serve warm.
Herb Butter
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Make herb butter (if using) by mixing all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
Freezer Instructions
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After baking breadsticks, let them cool completely. Wrap breadsticks in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe zip top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before unwrapping from plastic, placing in foil and warming in the oven at 300F for 7-10 minutes. You may choose to brush with additional herb butter once warm.
