Cheese Breadsticks

Cheese Breadsticks are baked bread that are crispy on the ouside and soft and cheesy on the inside. Plain breadsticks or grissini as they’re called in Italian, are popular appetizers in restaurants in Italy, Spain, and other European countries, US, and Australia. These cheese breadsticks make a delightful and healthy appetizer or snack. Cheese provides a lot of calcium.

You can also serve these breadsticks as a light meal with a soup.

Servings: 12 (makes 24)
Cooking Time: 20 minutes (1 1/2 hours for the dough)

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
• 1/4 oz (1 sachet) dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 7-8 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 4 cloves, garlic, crushed (optional)
• 1 tsp sea-salt crystals

Preparation

1. Warm 1 1/4 cup water in a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar and yeast. Cover and keep in a warm place for about 5-10 minutes or until frothy.
2. Sift the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast water and mix the dough; add more water if the dough is too dry. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add 4-5 tsp olive oil and knead well.
3. Divide the dough into two portions. On a lightly-floured surface, flatten one portion of the dough into a rectangle. Put the basil and crushed garlic on one end, roll, and knead to incorporate evenly into the dough. Roll out the other portion, place the cheese, roll and knead to incorporate.
4. Place in a large bowl, cover with plastic, and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
6. Brush 2 large baking trays with a little olive oil.
7. Knead both balls of dough for 1-2 minutes. Roll out the basil dough into a large rectangle and the cheese dough into a smaller rectangle. Place the cheese rectangle on top of the basil one, and roll to form a thick roll. Slice into 1-inch circles into 24 equal portions.
8. Roll out each portion into a 12-inch stick. Sprinkle a little sea-salt on each one. Place on the baking tray and brush lightly with water.
9. Bake the cheese breadsticks with for 15 minutes or until lightly golden and crisp.
10. Serve the cheese breadsticks with a soup of your choice or as an appetizer with a dip of your choice.

Cooking Tip

Store the leftover breadsticks in an airtight container to keep fresh for up to a week.

Category: Fusion Cooking - Members, Vegetarian Appetizer Recipes - Members, Vegetarian Appetizer Recipes - No-Onion No-Garlic - Members