Recipe: Cheese Breadsticks

Cheese Breadsticks
Recipe By : Cooking Light, Sept 1994
Yield: 44 breadsticks (serving size: 1 breadstick)

3 1/4 cups bread flour
3/4 cup grated fresh Romano cheese -- divided
1/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 package 50%-faster-rising dry yeast
18 tablespoons very warm water -- 120 to 130 degrees
2 teaspoons olive oil
Vegetable cooking spray
2 teaspoons water
1 egg white -- lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Place flour, 1/2 cup cheese, and next 5 ingredients in food processor, and pulse 6 times or until blended. With processor running, slowly add very warm water and oil through food chute; process until dough leaves sides of bowl and forms a ball.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface; kneadd lightly 5 times. Place dough into a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down; turn out onto a floured surface. Divide dough in half; roll each portion into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Combine 2 teaspoons water and egg white, and brush evenly over each rectangle; sprinkle each rectangle with half of remaining cheese. Using fingertips, press cheese into dough.

Cut each rectangle into 22 (10-inch-long) strips. Gently pick up both ends of each strip, and twist dough. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray, and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon cornmeal.

Place twisted strips of dough 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 20 minutes or until puffy.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans; let cool on wire racks.