Soft Breadsticks or Cheesy Garlic Bread
Makes: 12-15 regular or 20 small breadsticks or 1 garlic bread loaf.
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Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup water (warm)
- 2 ¼ tsp yeast (or 1 pkg)
- 3 Tbsp oil (vegetable or olive oil is best)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt (or garlic salt (if you aren't going to brush with garlic butter, add a pinch more salt))
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (may need up to 1/2 cup more)
- butter & garlic salt (for garnish - *special diet note: omit for dairy-free)
Optional Cheesy Garlic Topping: (omit for dairy-free)
- ½ cup butter (melted)
- ¾ tsp garlic powder (or garlic salt)
- 1/2-3/4 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or fresh parsley)
Instructions:
Dough:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the water and yeast. Allow to rest until foamy.
- Add the oil, honey, salt, and 1 cup flour. Mix until smooth. Continue to add flour until a very soft dough forms. Knead until smooth and elastic but don't over-knead.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover, and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled.
For Breadsticks:
- Divide into 12-15 balls (for regular-sized breadsticks) or 20 (for small, 6-inch breadsticks) and roll into ropes.
- Place on a greased baking sheet and allow to rise for another 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- When the breadsticks have risen, bake for 15 mintues, or until golden brown.
- (optional) Melt some butter and stir in some garlic salt. When the breadsticks are baked, remove from the oven and brush with the melted garlic butter.
For Cheesy Garlic Bread:
- Instead of making into breadsticks, shape the dough into a round loaf and place on a baking sheet to rise - 30 minutes or so.
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- When the loaf has risen, bake (for 30-40 minutes??).
- When the loaf is baked and golden, remove frmo the oven and allow to cool.
- Shortly before serving, preheat the oven to 350°.
- With a serrated knife, slice the top of the bread into squares, so it's scored into deep, 1" or so squares on top. *You want the cuts as deep as you can without the bread falling apart so the butter can soak in to as much bread as possible. Also, you want the squares to be large enough to easily tear off (larger than bite-size), but still small enough to completely be saturated in the butter.*
- Combine the Cheesy Garlic ingredients and pack into the cracks you just cut. *Don't be skimpy and press it in as deep down as you can.*
- Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.
Notes:
Make Ahead: The breadsticks are best fresh from the oven, but you could make the dough ahead of time, roll them into breadsticks, then freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a Ziploc bag. On the day you want to bake them, remove them from the freezer a few hours in advance and place on a greased baking sheet to thaw and rise. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
The Cheesy Garlic Bread loaf can be baked early in the day or even the day before, since you will be reheating it just before mealtime to melt the cheese.
Hard Crust Option: If you want a hard crust, you can brush with egg white.
Diet: Dairy Free, Egg Free