Garlic Bread Sticks

I'm sorry, did I scare you for a minute there?  Did tying dough into knots make you roll your eyes?  Well, I've redone my Garlic Knots recipe and made it more non-food-blogger/normal person friendly.  The recipe is the same except instead of knots you leave the dough as ropes and they become bread sticks!

Any other Gleeks out there?  Well, that Breadstix restaurant where the characters go on all their dates has probably been the inspiration for me making bread sticks in the first place.  (This should probably embarrass me.)  Kind of makes me think those more subtle product placements in TV shows actually do manipulate us more than we think if a fake restaurant has been making me crave something!  Or perhaps I just wanted a night where John and I could sing a duet at the dinner table and make it seem normal.  Either one.

I think I might even prefer the bread sticks version of this recipe to the knotted version because it allows for more buttery-garlicky-goodness with each bite.  A sprinkling of coarse salt and perhaps a grating of Parmesan cheese and you will be ready to burst into song too!

These soft, chewy bread sticks taste like a fresh version of those bread sticks I'm sure everyone has eaten at The Place Which Shall Not Be Named.  And just like at The Place, you will want to make these the central part of your dinner too.  If you're like me, you will just go ahead and call these bread sticks dinner and roast some asparagus on the side to make it seem like you aren't completely disgusting.  Go forth and bread stick!

Garlic Bread Sticks
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Dough:
3 cups (12 3/4 oz.) unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 oz.) dry milk
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 oz.) potato flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus more for topping
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup lukewarm water

Glaze:
4 tablespoons melted butter
2-6 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon pizza or Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients (to keep the potato flour from clumping) - flour, dry milk, potato flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 cup lukewarm water.  When fully incorporated change to the dough hook and knead until smooth and elastic (this took a few minutes for me when on the low setting).  Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or 4 cup measuring cup (under a towel) and wait an hour until the dough has doubled in size. 

On a clean surface, roll out your dough until it is a rectangle that is 8 inches by 16 inches.  Using a pizza cutter, places notches about one inch a part and then cut the dough into 8-inch strips.  Using your hands lightly roll the strips (one at a time) into 11-inch "snakes."  Place the bread sticks on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.  Allow the sticks to rise (under a towel) for 45 minutes to one hour, until very puffy. 

Bake the bread sticks at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes.  Meanwhile, place 4 tablespoons butter and 2-6 cloves minced garlic in a bowl and microwave together until butter melts.  Add 1 teaspoon pizza or Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt.  When the sticks are done cooking, use a brush to apply the glaze, being sure to scoop out plenty of the garlic pieces for each knot.  Top with a sprinkle of kosher or sea salt.  Eat warm.