Soft, chewy sourdough breadsticks brushed with butter, seasoned, and covered with cheese. No one can turn these down!
These are baked like a flatbread and then cut into sticks, so no shaping is required. They’re a great as a hands-off bread option since they can be assembled ahead and baked from the fridge in 15 minutes.
These are one of the most made breads at my house because
- They are EASY. No part of these feels cumbersome or requires much planning.
- They can be made ahead and baked when you’re ready. If we have a busy night, I can assemble these and leave them in the fridge and they can be ready in 15 minutes.
- Everyone loves them. It’s a rare food that everyone in my house loves, and this is one of them! I mean, really, who would say no to a cheesy breadstick?
- They’re good for so many things. Great as an appetizer, a game day snack, or as a bread to have with dinner. Basically, these enhance any menu.
A couple schedule options
If you’re aiming to have these ready for dinner, there are two options for timing:
Same day: Make the dough in the morning and let it rise during the day. In the afternoon, assemble except for the cheese and let it rise again. Add the cheeses and bake.
Overnight (*my favorite!): Make the dough in the evening, let it rise overnight, assemble in the morning, cover well, and refrigerate. You can bake it straight from the fridge in the evening.
How to make these easy cheesy breadsticks
(Can’t turn down that rhyme!)
The dough
This is a VERY nice dough to work with because it’s not overly wet, and the olive oil in it helps to prevent it from sticking. If you’re new to sourdough or bread baking, or you’re wary of sticky dough, you will love this one!
This dough is a regular sourdough recipe (starter, water, flour, salt), with the addition of olive oil and sugar.
You’ll mix everything together, then cover and let it sit for 30 minutes. This will let the gluten relax and better absorb the liquid.
Then, take the dough out of the bowl and gently knead a few times to ensure it’s all mixed and to shape it into a nice ball. Cover again and let it rise.
Shaping + assembling
All you need to do to shape these breadsticks is to press the dough out onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Ta da!
Then, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper, dried basil and oregano, and garlic powder.
If you’re doing the second rise in the fridge, you can also add the cheeses at this point. If you’re doing it on the counter, you’ll want to wait until just before baking to add them.
Baking
We like these soft and chewy, so I bake them on the lower half of the oven and only for 15 minutes. If you want them to get a little more color and a slight crunch, you can bake them on the upper rack for 17-18 minutes.
Let them cool for just a couple minutes to set before slicing. Then slice with a large chef’s knife or pizza cutter into sticks. Eat them while they’re warm!
Marinara for dipping is totally optional, but definitely a good idea.
Sourdough Cheesy Breadsticks
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 150 grams water
- 100 grams active sourdough starter
- 12 grams sugar
- 24 grams olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
- 300 grams all purpose flour
- 8 grams salt
For the Topping
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- For serving: marinara sauce (optional)
Directions
Make the Dough
- Combine the water, starter, oil, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix well until no dry bits of flour remain. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Knead a few times to form into a nice ball. Cover and let rise until doubled in size - about 6-8 hours.
Make the Breadsticks
- Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Turn the dough out onto the baking sheet and use your hands to spread dough to roughly ½-inch thick. Be sure to pop any large air bubbles that may have formed during the first rise. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle seasonings over top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1-2 hours more.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Top the dough with the cheeses. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and use a pizza cutter to cut into sticks. Serve warm with marinara sauce.
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