Sourdough Garlic Bread Sticks
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 kitchen scale (optional but recommended)
- 1 Measuring cups set
- 1 Measuring spoons set
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 Whisk
- 1 bench scraper or knife
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 2 baking sheets
- 2 sheets parchment paper
- 1 pastry brush
- 1 clean kitchen towel
Ingredients
- 240 gram sourdough starter active and bubbly
- 240 milliliter warm water about 30°C
- 30 milliliter olive oil plus extra for greasing
- 10 gram granulated sugar
- 8 gram fine sea salt
- 480 gram bread flour plus extra for dusting
- 60 gram unsalted butter melted
- 15 gram garlic minced about 3 cloves
- 5 gram dried oregano crushed
- 3 gram dried parsley or 10 g fresh parsley finely chopped
- 30 gram grated Parmesan cheese optional
- 2 gram flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the active sourdough starter, warm water, olive oil, and sugar until well combined.
- Add the salt and about three-quarters of the bread flour, stirring with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
- Gradually add the remaining flour, switching to hand kneading in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface until the dough is soft, smooth, and only slightly tacky, about 8–10 minutes.
- Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rest at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1½–2 hours depending on room warmth and starter activity.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly dust them with flour.
- Gently turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rectangle.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a larger rectangle about 1 cm thick, keeping the edges as even as possible.
- With a bench scraper or sharp knife cut the dough into 12 even strips about 2–3 cm wide.
- Gently stretch and twist each strip once or twice, then place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets.
- Cover the shaped bread sticks loosely with a kitchen towel and let them puff slightly for 20–30 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) with a rack in the middle position.
- While the bread sticks proof, combine the melted butter, minced garlic, oregano, and parsley in a small bowl and set aside.
- Just before baking, lightly brush the tops of the bread sticks with about half of the garlic butter mixture.
- Bake the bread sticks for 14–18 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through, until they are golden brown on top and lightly browned on the bottom.
- Remove the bread sticks from the oven and immediately brush them with the remaining garlic butter.
- Sprinkle the hot bread sticks with grated Parmesan cheese and flaky sea salt, then let cool on the trays for 5–10 minutes before serving warm.
Notes
For best flavor, use a mature, active sourdough starter that has peaked within the last few hours, and remember that sourdough is sensitive to temperature, so cooler rooms will lengthen rise times significantly while warmer rooms speed them up. If your dough feels very sticky, add only a small amount of extra flour at a time to keep the bread sticks soft rather than dense, and avoid overworking the dough when shaping to preserve the air bubbles created during fermentation. You can prepare the dough ahead by chilling it in the fridge after the first rise for up to 12 hours, which deepens the sourdough flavor and makes it easier to handle. Adjust garlic and herb amounts to your taste, and if baking on convection, reduce the oven temperature by about 10–15°C and begin checking for doneness a few minutes earlier to prevent over-browning.
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