Crunchy Italian Bread Sticks

Our local Dutch bakery makes crunchy bread sticks and sells a lot of them – they always have them.  They are getting more and more expensive to buy, so when I saw this method  promising crunchy bread sticks I had to try it.  

Most bread sticks are soft, but these, like the bakery’s, are almost cracker-like.  
I won’t be buying any more – they are too easy to make.  I serve them with soup or pasta as a rule, if we can keep from snacking on them!  Store in an airtight container, they keep nicely for a week.        

Crunchy Italian Bread Sticks

     1       cup  Water -- 120°-125°
     1          Tablespoon  Olive Oil

  2 1/8   teaspoons  Instant Yeast -- 1 package

 11         Ounces  Bread Flour -- about 2 cups

     1       teaspoon  Salt

 2          Teaspoons  Garlic Powder  

 1 1/2    Teaspoons  Italian Seasoning
 2          Tablespoons grated Parmesan  

Add flour, yeast, salt and seasonings to mixer bowl.  Mix until just combined.

Slowly add warm water mixed with olive oil in a steady stream.  Mix until dough forms a ball and cleans the side of the bowl.  Change to dough hook or knead by hand about 6 minutes.  This is a "slack" dough that will be sticky.  Don't add a lot of flour when you knead.

Preheat oven to 300-325°. Let the dough rest in the bowl or on your board, covered, for 10 minutes in warm place.  Punch dough down on a slightly floured surface.  Divide in 2 pieces, about 10 1/2 ounces each.

Form into a rough rectangle, about 7" by 12", trying to keep an even thickness.. 

Cut the dough into 1/2" wide strips, 7 inches long.  Twist each strip into a spiral (or simply lay flat on your baking sheets) and lay them on two greased or  parchment-lined baking sheets (half-sheet size), leaving room between them.  Repeat with remaining dough.

When all the bread sticks are on the sheets, bake at 300-325° until they are nicely browned and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning them over halfway through baking.  Let them cool completely in the turned off oven.  (This is what makes them really crisp.)

40 bread sticks

2013 Cost:  60¢ per recipe.

Per Serving: 33 Calories; trace Fat (13.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 54mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fat.