Herb and Parmesan Bread Twists
Haven’t we all tried tasteless extra-chewy bread sticks in restaurants and at parties? I’ve had my share. Without false modesty, I can assure you these twists are better. And the difference is called forth by a generous amount (and I mean GENEROUS) of fresh herbs, garlic, parmesan, and good quality extra-virgin olive oil.
Makes 24 18-inch long bread twists
Ingredients:
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 735 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup lightly packed grated parmesan cheese
- About 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- About 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely minced or put through garlic press
- Extra parmesan (about another cup) to be grated over hot, just baked twists
- About ½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
First, make dough; it can be prepared in advance and kept refrigerated for a couple of days.
In the mixer bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Cover the bowl; place it into a warm place for 10 minutes, until the yeast mixture is foamy. Stir in the olive oil. Whisk together the flour and salt and then gradually add to the yeast mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until combined. Attach the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and knead at medium speed for 4 minutes. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl, be soft and slightly sticky. Transfer the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place into a warm place to rise, for about 1 ½ hours or until doubled. After this, you can punch the dough down and keep it covered in the refrigerator for 2 days. Bring to room temperature before rolling and forming the twists.
While the dough is rising, combine the parmesan, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the olive oil and garlic. Set aside as well.
Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 400F. Line two large baking sheets (at least 18-inch long) with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Divide the dough in half. Keep one portion covered with oiled plastic, while working on another one. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/8-inch thick (roughly 10X15-inch). If the dough resists to rolling, cover it and let relax for 10 minutes, and then continue. Evenly, crosswise, sprinkle the half of parmesan-herb mixture over the half of the rolled dough, then fold the free dough over (like a book) and press the edges to seal. Roll it again to a rectangle, approximately the same size as before. Using a pizza wheel, cut the rolled dough lengthwise into quarters, then cut each quarter lengthwise into 3 long strips (12 strips total). Twist each strip and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, leaving about ½-inch between them. Brush the twists with the garlic-infused oil and let rest for 10 minutes before baking. Bake the twists in batches until nicely brown, for about 25 minutes. As soon as you remove the twists from the oven, brush them generously with the garlic oil, grate the parmesan over, sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Place the baking sheet with the twists on a cooling rack to cool completely or enjoy warm. Repeat with the second portion of the dough.
these look so good! how imp is sea salt to the recipe? how about normal salt?
Those look so pretty and flavorful! A great idea!
Cheers,
Rosa
Soooooo yummy! And the pic is lovely.
I love the way you can turn something so ordinary into a work of droolworthy art! Fabulous!
this is a go-to appetizer for me whenever i want to prepare something fancy. however, it should be noted that i cheat and use puff pastry. :)
seems totally doable – has a surprising amount of ingredients.
i guess that’s what makes it good.
wow how nice! must be delicious too
These looks as incredible as everything else you make. My stomach is now growling.
They look amazing. So perfect
YUM!
I am making these immediately, I reckon PERFECT with avocado dip! (in season in Sydney right now!) Your photography is gorgeous, I’m so glad I found your blog!
Fiona
Yum!!! You had me at parmesan and olive oil. Delicious Vera, especially with “soup season” around the corner. I love homemade soups in the fall and winter.
Btw, I’m celebrating my 1 year blogaversary today. Check out my blog. I think you’ll enjoy reading my post :o)
These are great from breakfast to midnight snack… *__*
… anytime is the right time…
wow. my bf would definitely love these! (: thanks for the recipe!
They are so sinful! Calorie laden! But who cares! Would love to grab the whole thing and run away! :D
I’ve actually been asked to cater an fundraiser event for 35 people in Oct. Kind of nervous. So recently I have been on a quest of find recipes that will shine on that day. This one has totally been bookmarked.
735g of flour seems a lot! Is that correct?
ideal for a picnic or a dinner party, i love this, and you can’t stop eating them, thanks for the recipe!
cheers from london,
pity
oh yes, these look way better than the ones served at any restaurants.
Wow! Those bread sticks look amazing!! Thanks for posting this recipe.
Greetings,
Tiina
Me ha gustado muchismo la receta y la foto…besos
oh my… love your virtual image!! amazing mix of pic’s!!
regards from sweden & agneta
They look so very yummy and I am on my way to giving them a try.
Yum! It’s almost soup season and these will be perfect for our Sunday soup dinners.
Mimi
Thank you so much, guys, for the kind comments! I deeply appreciate it!
Anna, yes, 735g is the correct amount; it makes a lot of long bread sticks.
Wow, these look amazing (and I am not even a breadstick lover).
Wow, I like .. I bake it realy amazing ….
Wonderful recipe. Just a suggestion. It will be nice and clear if u have step by step pictures also put up in the recipe. Specially for those who are not an expert in baking. U have an awesome website. Kudos!
Also, can u let me know the temperature to be maintained in the oven?
Gayathri, thank you. The baking temperature is stated in the recipe – 4ooF.
Does the dough have to be kept for 2 days?