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Sourdough Breadsticks

 

 

 

You can make breadsticks with just about any yeast bread by simply shaping the dough into thick ropes.  Breadsticks made with pizza dough are my favorite, especially sourdough breadsticks made with our sourdough pizza dough from our sourdough starter.  The sourdough pizza dough recipe {which is a slightly modified variation of Jeff Varasano’s} makes five pizza crusts so I like to make breadsticks with one of the dough balls either as an appetizer or a snack.  You can top the breadsticks with the cheeses and seasonings of your choice but they are also great plain, simply sprinkled with a bit of Parmesan cheese.  As with the pizza crust, the sourdough starter imparts a subtle tang to the breadsticks and gives them a light texture and a depth in flavor.  Serve them with warmed pizza sauce for dipping.

Sourdough Breadsticks
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 10+
 
As with the pizza crust, the sourdough starter imparts a subtle tang to the breadsticks and gives them a light texture and a depth in flavor.
Ingredients
  • 550g (2⅓ cups) water
  • 850g (8½ cups) organic bread flour (I like to use King Arthur flour.)
  • 30g (2 Tbsp) sea salt
  • 60g (1/2 cup) sourdough starter
  • 2.5g (1/2 tsp) dry active yeast
Instructions
  1. Keep the sourdough starter in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. (I always keep our starter in the refrigerator so it is ready to go when we want to use it.)
  2. Set the starter out at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
  3. All of the ingredients should be room temperature or a bit cooler.
  4. Mix 75% of the flour (637 grams), the water, salt, starter and dry yeast in a mixer at low speed for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
  6. Mix at a low speed for 8 minutes.
  7. After 5 minutes, begin adding the remainder of the flour.
  8. Increase the speed of the mixer slightly (never higher than ⅓ of the dial) and mix for 6-8 minutes.
  9. The dough should form a wet, slack dough ball.
  10. Leave it in the mixing bowl and cover it with a towel.
  11. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
  12. Split the dough into five balls, approximately 310 grams each ball.
  13. Put each ball in an oiled plastic container and let them rise in the refrigerator for 1-6 days.
  14. Prior to making the breadsticks {or pizza}, let the dough ball rest at room temperature for about 80 minutes.
  15. Shape the dough into thick ropes and lightly sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  16. Place them on a pizza pan or a baking pan and bake them at 500 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until they are starting to turn golden brown.
  17. TIP: To measure the bread flour, use a spoon to scoop it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. The flour gets compacted in the bag so if you scoop the flour directly from the bag using the measuring cup, the flour will be too tightly-packed and you will end up using too much flour.