homemade breadsticks

hmmm, CARBS! just want you need during bathing suit season :) i ran across these breadsticks last night while blog surfing. i knew i needed to make them asap.

i woke up at 6 this morning while brad was getting ready and couldn't fall back asleep. since i couldn't sleep i thought it would be the perfect day to start the morning yoga (on demand!) routine that i have been saying i would start. so, i had every intention of doing yoga... BUT for some reason my on-demand yoga wasn't working. boo, time warner. sometime you SUCK.

since i couldn't work on my gut and butt i instead turned on a crime show called captured (i loooove crime shows) and started baking these breadsticks that will certainly go straight to my butt and gut:)

these were supposed to taste like olive garden breadsticks. however, i strongly believe they are much more like little caesars crazy bread. in other words, they are TASTY!

breadsticks.
source: full bellies. happy kids.


what you need:

1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110 - 120 degrees F)
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt

in a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered. mixture should be frothy.

in separate bowl, combine flour and salt.

add the flour and salt to yeast mixture. add melted butter. mix with paddle attachment of stand mixer or wooden spoon until fully combined.

knead dough for a few minutes just until dough is smooth. do not overknead!

grease a cookie sheet. pull off pieces of dough and roll out into strips.

cover the dough and let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour. (i let my bread sit in the oven with only the oven light on. this was a tip from my grandmama- thanks gma!)

preheat your oven to 400 degrees (not with the breadsticks in there!) once the oven is preheated, start baking those breadsticks!!

in a microwave (or on the stove), combine the following:

1/2 stick unsalted butter (or 1/2 cup margarine)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt

*also need another 1/2 stick of melted butter for brushing after fully baked*

after 6 or 7 minutes, brush the bread sticks with half the butter mixture.

then continue to bake for about 6 (give or take) minutes. bake a little longer if you want the outside more crispy. personally, i like the outside soft :)

as soon as you remove the breadsticks from the oven brush the other half of butter on the sticks.

let the breadsticks cool for a minute or so (i know it's hard to do!) and then enjoy!!