Herbed Breadsticks

(4)

These braided breadsticks are a showy starter or side dish for your next Italian dinner. Try them alongside a cheese plate, pasta, or soup.

Herbed Breadsticks
Prep Time:
35 mins
Rise Time:
1 hrs 15 mins
Bake Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 5 mins
Servings:
16
Yield:
16 braided breadsticks

Ingredients

  • 1 - 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 package active dry yeast

  • 1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary, thyme, and/or oregano

  • ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

  • ¾ cup milk

  • 2 tablespoon butter or margarine

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup semolina pasta flour*

  • 1 egg white

  • 1 tablespoon water

Directions

  1. In a large bowl stir together 3/4 cup of the all-purpose flour, the yeast, rosemary, and pepper. In a small saucepan heat milk, butter, sugar, and salt just until warm (120°F to 130°F) and butter almost melts.

  2. Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in semolina flour. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir in as much of the remaining all-purpose flour as you can.

  3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining all-purpose flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased large bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (45 to 60 minutes). (To serve today, omit Step 4 and continue as directed in Steps 5 through 7.)

  4. Punch dough down. Place dough in a freezer container; seal. Freeze for up to 3 weeks. Thaw dough overnight in refrigerator before using.

  5. Punch down dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Line a baking sheet with foil; grease foil. Roll one dough portion into a 10x9-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into 24 strips.

  6. For each breadstick, pinch together ends of three strips; braid the dough strips. Pinch the other ends together. Tuck under the thin, pinched ends.** Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough portion. Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (about 30 minutes).

  7. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl beat together egg white and the water. Lightly brush egg white mixture on breadsticks. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

*Tip:

Instead of semolina flour, you can use 3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal.

**Tip:

For faster shaping, cut rolled dough into 1-inch-wide strips. Hold each strip at both ends. Twist in opposite directions two or three times. Arrange on a greased baking sheet; press ends down. Let rise and bake as directed. Makes 20 breadsticks.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

58 Calories
1g Fat
10g Carbs
2g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 16
Calories 58
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g 1%
Sodium 60mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Protein 2g

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Related Articles