Crispy Cheese Sticks
When you want fresh-baked bread, take a piece of the dough from the container and shape it into a loaf. Let it rest for 20 minutes or more, and then bake. Your house will smell like a bakery and your family and friends will love you for it.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon granulated yeast
- 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 cups lukewarm water at 100°F (38°C) or below
- 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
- Oil or butter, for greasing
- Olive oil
- Coarse sea salt
Instructions
Mix and store the dough
- In a 6-quart bowl or lidded (not airtight) food container, mix the yeast, salt, and sugar with the water.
- Using a spoon or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix in the flour and cheese without kneading. If you’re not using a mixer, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
- Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), about 2 hours.
- The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it's easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate the container of dough and use it over the next 7 days.
Make the cheese sticks
- Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour then cut it into 1-pound (454 g) (grapefruit-size) pieces. Dust each piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Allow to rest for 1 hour on a pizza peel that has been covered with cornmeal or parchment paper.
☞ TESTER TIP: This dough can be kept in the fridge for up to a week, so you can bake off as many cheese sticks at a time as you like. The dough can also be frozen for future use.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Slick a rimmed baking sheet with oil or butter or line with parchment paper.
- Using a rolling pin, roll dough out to a 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick rectangle, about 8-by-13-inches (20-by-33-cm). As you roll the dough, use just enough flour to prevent it from sticking to the work surface. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut along the long side, cut into 1/8-inch (3 mm) wide strips.
- Lay strips on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1/2-inch (13 mm) apart. Use a pastry brush to dab olive oil over each strip, then sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake cheese sticks in the center of the oven until nicely browned and beginning to crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. They will firm up when cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Stick | Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 8mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g