9 votesBreadsticks are often served as an appetizer in Italian restaurants. This spicy herbed version adapted from “The Bread Bible” by Rose Levy Beranbaum is shaped using a pasta maker so you get perfectly sized pencil-thin, crispy and spicy breadsticks; long, tall, and twisty uniform sticks that look so pretty when placed in a holder. They make a fabulous centerpiece in an Italian-themed dinner or lunch spread. Place it in a vase or decorative container for a spectacular bouquet of breadsticks that your guests will feel free to pick and munch on as much as they want.
Because they are thin and crispy, they are easy to nibble without making you or your guests feel full. Spiced with Tabasco, pepper, and aromatic herbs, this is a really enticing treat that will stimulate your appetite for more. If you find the cut too long and don’t fit your oven, you can simply slice the dough (that is cut into long fettuccini sizes) into two depending on your preference.
A liberal amount of cornmeal is used in this recipe. Besides adding texture, cornmeal will also keep the dough from sticking and bunching together. This way, the breadsticks dough is also easier to handle.
You can also serve this yummy spicy bread sticks with tomato or mushroom soup or as a side dish to spaghetti for an extra kick that will turn a good meal into great. They can also be dipped in cheese sauce, marinara, or red pepper coulis for a quick and stupendous snack. Spicy herbed bread sticks are also the prefect companions to chili beans and hearty stews. Dip them in the hot soup and they will absorb the flavors of the sauces and taste extra delicious when you bite into them. For a quick savory snack during sports season or game day, make these breadsticks and share it with everyone. They go perfectly well with an ice-cold beverage.
Using an electric mixer, blend the flour, yeast, salt, peppers, garlic powder, cheese, herbs, and Tabasco until well incorporated. Switch to a dough hook and, little by little, add the water, mixing on low speed. Keep mixing until the dough starts pulling away from the bowl. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough, adding more flour if the dough is sticky.
Lightly spray the top of the dough with olive oil. Place in a container sprayed with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours, pressing down gently on the top of the dough after the first 2 hours. If the dough more than doubles, press down on it again.
One hour before baking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle the counter with cornmeal. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and turn each piece into a sphere. Flatten each sphere. Cover and refrigerate all but 2 pieces of dough.
Using a pasta machine, pass the dough through on the widest setting to flatten it, and making the dough about 1/8 in. thick. Sprinkle the flattened dough with cornmeal to keep it from sticking. Set aside and do the same for the second piece of dough.
Run the flattened dough through the pasta machine using the setting for fettuccine (about ¼ in. wide). Lay the slices on the counter and toss them until they are coated with cornmeal. Separate them and lay on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Don’t let the pieces touch. Spray with olive oil. Sprinkle sea salt and more cornmeal over the bread sticks.
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. The bread sticks should curve up from the parchment paper. Move the bread sticks to a wire cooling rack. Let the baking trays cool completely before baking another batch.
