Why you will love this recipe:
Because these aren’t your thin, flabby, store-bought sticks. These are crisp-edged, chewy-centered, sourdough-leveraged bangers—exactly what you want beside a bowl of soup or for dunking in marinara (or for sneaking direct from the tray at midnight). They’re proofed long for tang, shaped tight for tension, and baked until they snap. And you made them. From scratch. Like a true bread savant.
Tips:
- Use a fed, active starter that’s bubbly and doubled—it’s not optional.
- Don’t rush the stretch-and-folds—they build that irresistible chew.
- Coat them in olive oil and coarse salt right out of the oven—that finishing crunch is everything.
- Want flair? Add garlic powder, parmesan, or herbs before baking.
Recipe Card
- Recipe name: Delicious Sourdough Breadsticks
- Summary: Crunchy, chewy, fermented breadsticks with a golden crust and open crumb—perfect for dipping or noshing.
- Prep time: 20 minutes active
- Cook time: 15–18 minutes
- Additional time: 4–6 hours bulk ferment + overnight cold proof
- Total time: ~18–24 hours
- Servings: 12–16 breadsticks
- Diet: Vegetarian
- Method: Sourdough dough → stretch & fold → shape → bake
Ingredients:
- 300g bread flour
- 180g water (~75°F)
- 100g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 6g salt
- 10g honey or sugar
- 15g olive oil (plus extra for brushing)
- Optional: flaky salt, garlic powder, rosemary, parmesan
How To Make Sourdough Breadsticks:
- Mix flour, water, starter, honey, salt, and oil into a shaggy dough. Let it rest 30 minutes (autolyse).
- Over the next 2 hours, perform 3 stretch-and-fold sessions (every 30 minutes): grab one edge, stretch, fold over, rotate. This builds structure without kneading.
- Cover and let dough rise at room temp until around 1.5x in volume (~4 hours depending on your kitchen).
- Turn dough onto floured surface. Divide into 12–16 pieces (~50g each). Roll into tight sticks (~8 inches long), tapering slightly at ends.
- Place on parchment-lined sheet, cover, then cold-proof in fridge overnight (12–18 hours).
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush sticks with olive oil and sprinkle salt or seasoning.
- Bake 15–18 minutes until deep golden and crisp. They should snap; if they bend, give them another minute.
- Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Resist the urge—not everything needs to be hot.
How To Serve Sourdough Breadsticks:
Drizzle with olive oil, rub with halved garlic clove, sprinkle fresh rosemary and parmesan. Serve next to tomato basil soup, cheese boards, or alongside Italian dinners for crunchy dipping power.
Storage:
Store cooled sticks in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To re-crisp, pop them in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
Baker’s Schedule:
- Day 1 Morning: Mix dough
- Day 1 Midday: Autolyse + stretch-and-folds + bulk ferment
- Day 1 Evening: Shape, cold-proof overnight
- Day 2 Morning: Bake, crisp, enjoy
FAQ:
What if they bend?
They’re underbaked—add 1–2 minutes until they snap.
Can I skip the cold proof?
You’ll lose intensity in flavor and structure. Don’t.
Flavor mix-ins?
Yes. Garlic, herbs, cheese—add them before baking. Avoid crowding the surface or they’ll block the crisp.
Final Crunch
These sourdough breadsticks are an event. They crack when you break them. They crunch with flavor. They pair with everything. You harnessed a wild starter, fermented patiently, shaped with tension, and baked until they sing with golden crisp. That’s skill. That’s bread.
So drizzle, dip, devour—or stash a handful for whenever hunger strikes. Then stand back and say: “Yeah, I made these.”
Want more kitchen swagger and bread-worthy recipes? Email me at [email protected]. Let me know what your readers are craving next—I’ll send the next dough knockout your way.
