1 Hour Garlic Breadsticks

I make a meal plan every week. On paper, it looks great. Nutritionally balanced, healthy and hearty. Often, I am happily starting supper for the evening when a nagging thought hits me and stops me mid vegetable chopping.  I need bread.

I reason with myself that there is already plenty of food for supper, and I should stay focused on getting this job done because I am usually short on time. But the nagging persists. And it eventually overtakes me.

So, I do what any reasonable person with only an hour until meal time does. I get out the flour container, and begin baking bread. Now we all know that most yeast recipes take far longer than 1 hour to complete. But a seasoned homemaker has a few tricks up her sleeve. Mine is explained in my recipe to Bake Yeast Recipes in Half the Time.

 

 

 

 

Following this technique, I set out to create soft, fluffy, garlic breadsticks in less than one hour. Friends, this recipe is amazing. The buttery garlic outside is bursting with flavor, while the soft inside of these breadsticks will have people thinking they took hours to rise. Quite simply, this garlic breadstick recipe is one you will want to memorize.

Add it to your meal plans as the perfect accompaniment to soups, pastas and salads. I am certain that once you try these, you won’t be able to resist baking them again and again.

 

Soft and Fluffy Garlic Breadsticks

Serves 12

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Rest/Rise Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

 

Ingredients:

2 Packets (4 ½ tsp.) Active Yeast

¼ Cup Warm Water

¼ Cup Butter, Melted

1 Cup Kefir Milk (can use buttermilk, milk, or whey), Warm

½ tsp. garlic powder

2 T. + 1 tsp. Granulated Sugar

1 ½ tsp. Salt

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

 

Topping:

¼ Cup Butter, Melted

½ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Garlic Powder

¼ tsp. Dried Basil

Mix together and brush on breadsticks with a pastry brush.

 

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup water and 1 tsp. sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and set aside to proof.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the melted butter and warm kefir milk. Add the 2 cups of flour, sugar, salt and garlic powder and mix. Add the yeast mixture to the large bowl. Slowly mix in the remaining cup of flour until incorporated.

Knead the dough just until it is smooth, only a few minutes. Place the dough back in the bowl and cover with a towel. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°.

Once the dough has rested, flour your pastry board or work surface and cut the dough into 12 even pieces. (I find it is easiest to form a circle, about 1 inch thick, with the dough and cut into 12 wedges.)

Roll each piece into a rope about 12 inches long. Place the breadsticks on a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Turn the oven off, but leave the light on. Place the baking sheet into the oven and let the breadsticks rise about 20 minutes.

Once the breadsticks have risen, turn the oven back on to 400°. Do not open the oven door or take the breadsticks out.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully brush the breadsticks with half of the melted butter topping. Place back in the oven and bake an additional 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove the breadsticks from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter topping. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temp. up to 3 days.

*For non-garlic breadsticks, simply omit the garlic powder in the recipe and topping.