Impossibly soft and fluffy garlic breadsticks filled with homemade, meltable vegan cheese? Yes, dreams to come true! The bread and cheese are oil-free, but if you want to take the decadence and flavor to the next level, go ahead and whip up a batch of garlic butter for drizzling or dunking.Yield: makes 6 breadsticks
2teaspoonsagar agar powder, optional - This helps the cheese set and makes it easier to work with but can be omitted.
1 ⅛teaspoonsfine sea salt
¾cupwater
Garlic Butter:
2tablespoonsvegan butter, melted
2teaspoonsolive oil
1small clovegarlic, zested or minced
pinch of sea salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in a small bowl. Stir gently, and let rest 5 minutes. The mixture should become foamy; if it doesn't the yeast might not be fresh.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, salt, garlic powder, and dried herbs. Add the yeast mixture, and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for about 30 seconds, turning it over on itself just 15 times, or so.
Place the ball of dough in a large clean bowl (I like to rinse and dry the mixing bowl just used), and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Set aside in a warm place, if possible, for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, make the cheese. In a blender combine all cheese ingredients. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Pour cheese mixture into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisking constantly, cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened.
Scoop the cheese onto a plate to cool, forming it into a rectangle about 5 inches by 7 inches, or use a similarly sized glass storage dish. Refrigerate cheese until cool and set, which will be about the same time the dough has finished proofing.
The dough will be sticky. Sprinkle the work surface with flour, and shape the dough into a thick disc. Use a knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece of dough into an oval roughly 7 inches by 4 ½ inches. See photos.
Cut a slice of cheese and place in the center of the oval. Fold one side of the dough over the cheese, pressing down on the dough to seal the cheese inside. Fold in the ends of the dough, and finish rolling it into a log. Pinch the dough along all seams to make sure it's well sealed. *You won't quite use the whole batch of cheese. Snack on the remainder or refrigerate for later.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange breadsticks 2 to 3 inches apart. Cover with a tea towel, and set aside for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C). Bake breadsticks 11 to 13 minutes; keep a close eye on them after the ten minute mark. The dough will be pale even when they're done. If one or more breadsticks begin to bulge on the sides that means the cheese is hot, and the breadsticks are done.
Let stand 5 minutes, then serve as-is, with marinara sauce, or with melted garlic butter. See Notes for storage and re-heating tips.
Garlic butter:
In a small bowl stir together melted butter, olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes. Brush or pour onto hot breadsticks.
Notes
StorageBreadsticks are best eaten fresh, but leftovers still taste amazing! To reheat breadsticks, bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes or until hot.I haven't tried freezing these yet, but suspect they are freezer-friendly. You can freeze unbaked dough or cooked breadsticks. Wrap well to protect from air, thaw in refrigerator overnight, then proceed with baking/re-heating.Nutrition facts are an estimate and represent one breadstick without garlic butter.