Incredibly soft, with a lovely chewy texture, these breadsticks will make a wonderful addition to your sourdough arsenal. Once baked, the breadsticks are pressed into a mixture of seasoned bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese for a delicious, crunchy topping. Dunk into warm tomato sauce or my Zesty Garlic and Herb Oil. My kids go crazy over these.
About the Dough: If you’ve made the Crispy Sourdough Grissini, the gentle hand-pulled shaping method for these breadsticks is very similar. However, when making soft breadsticks, make sure you don’t stretch the dough too long or they will bake up thin and crunchy instead.
Ingredients
Breadsticks
- ¼ cup (50 g) bubbly, active starter
- 10.33 cups plus 2 tbsp (350 g) warm water
- 1 tbsp (12 g) sugar
- ½ cup (80 g) semolina flour, plus more for dusting
- 3½ cups (420 g) bread flour
- 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt
- Olive oil, for coating
Topping
- ¼ cup (30 g) Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup (40 g) ground Parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter
How to Make It
- A few days before baking, feed your starter until bubbly and active. Store at room temperature until ready to use. Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the starter, water, and sugar together with a fork. Add the flours and salt. Combine to form a rough dough, then finish by hand to fully incorporate the flour. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Replenish your starter with fresh flour and water, and store according to preference.
- After the dough has rested, work the mass into a semi-smooth ball, about 15 seconds. Bulk Rise
- Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rise at room temperature until double in size, about 8 to 10 hours at 70°F (21°C). Shape
- Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and dust with semolina flour.
- Lightly brush your work surface with oil. Remove the dough onto the surface and let rest for 10 minutes. Then gently flatten the dough into a long rectangle, about 14 × 5 inches (36 × 13 cm). Cut across into fourteen 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick strips. Divide evenly between both sheet pans. The breadsticks will naturally stretch in length as you transfer the dough. Second Rise
- Cover the dough and let rest until puffy, about 30 minutes depending on temperature. Crumb Topping
- Meanwhile, toast the bread crumbs in a small nonstick pan, stirring often, until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. When finished, transfer the breadcrumbs to a plate to cool. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix to combine. Wipe out the pan and melt the butter over low heat. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly brush the dough with some of the melted butter, reserving what’s left in the pan to adhere the crumb topping to the baked breadsticks. Bake
- Place both sheet pans into the oven and bake for about 13 to 15 minutes. Swap racks halfway through baking for even coloring. You can also bake one sheet pan at a time, if you prefer. When ready, the breadsticks will be pale golden in color and feel noticeably lightweight.
- To serve, brush the breadsticks with the reserved melted butter. Press into the breadcrumb topping to coat. Enjoy warm or at room temperature, with extra napkins.
- These breadsticks are best enjoyed fresh. They can be frozen, without the crumb topping, once completely cool. Layer them between sheets of parchment and cover in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze up to 3 months.
