Sourdough Cheese Breadsticks: Recipe and 3 Baking Tips
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Aug 14, 2022 • 3 min read
Sourdough starter makes dough tangy and airy. Add cheese and portion the dough into breadsticks for a quick snack or accompaniment to cheese boards and entrées. Try making sourdough cheese breadsticks as a party appetizer or alternative to garlic bread.
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What Are Sourdough Cheese Breadsticks?
Sourdough cheese breadsticks are log-shaped, individually portioned breads leavened with sourdough starter and flavored with cheese. An easily adaptable recipe, you can incorporate different types of cheeses or other seasonings to match what you’re serving the cheesy breadsticks with. Serve cheese bread with fresh pesto for an impressive party appetizer, or enjoy the breadsticks as an accompaniment to soups, stews, or pasta dishes.
3 Tips for Making Sourdough Cheese Breadsticks
Here’s how to make soft and flavorful sourdough breadsticks at home.
- 1. Use an active sourdough starter. Sourdough starter acts as the primary leavening agent in most sourdough bread recipes, so it’s essential to feed your starter consistently for at least two days before using it for baking breadsticks. If you want to use sourdough discard instead, spike the dough with one teaspoon of active dry yeast. Learn more about maintaining a sourdough starter with baker Apollonia Poilâne.
- 2. Let the dough rise overnight. Sourdough’s bold flavor and chewy texture come from fermentation, which is a slow process that requires a bit of extra time. For the tangiest sourdough flavor, let the dough rise at room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator to ferment overnight.
- 3. Top with cheese. Add-ins can affect the way sourdough-leavened bread rises and ferments. Add the cheese on top of the breadsticks rather than into the dough to ensure it rises properly.
Easy Sourdough Cheese Breadsticks Recipe
makes
12 breadsticksprep time
15 mintotal time
27 mincook time
12 minIngredients
For the dough:
For the Parmesan butter:
Note: The total time does not include 18 hours of inactive time.
Make the dough:
- 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the starter, water, sugar, flour, and salt.
- 2
Mix on low speed for one minute, then increase the speed to medium-low.
- 3
Knead the dough on medium-low speed until it easily comes away from the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
- 4
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
- 5
Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 4 hours.
- 6
Transfer the risen dough to the refrigerator and let it ferment overnight.
- 7
The next day, turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface.
- 8
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle.
- 9
Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough into 12 breadsticks.
- 10
Transfer the breadsticks to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- 11
Cover the baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it proof for about 1 hour.
- 12
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Make the Parmesan butter and bake the breadsticks:
- 1
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, parsley, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan.
- 2
Remove the cloth or parchment paper from the baking sheet and transfer the breadsticks to the hot oven.
- 3
Bake the breadsticks until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
- 4
Remove the breadsticks from the oven. Spoon or brush the Parmesan butter evenly over each breadstick.
- 5
Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of each breadstick.
- 6
Return the breadsticks to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted, 2–3 minutes more.
- 7
Serve the breadsticks warm.
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