Pepperoni and cheese breadsticks

A fun twist on a family favourite!

If your family is like mine, chances are pizza makes a regular appearance on your dining table. We love both making and eating it, and I particularly enjoy the process of playing around with different types of dough. Recently I was thinking about trying to present some of the familiar and beloved flavours of pizza in a different form, which led to this recipe. It’s fun to make and would be a great baking project with kids. The breadsticks are best enjoyed freshly-baked but leftovers can be wrapped in foil and reheated at 325F for 5 minutes to perk them up the next day.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
• 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water
• 2 teaspoons dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 cup (130 g) diced pepperoni
• 1/3 cup (33 g) freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup (35 g) grated mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, melted (to brush dough before baking)
• Pizza sauce, to serve

Method

• Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
• Heat milk with butter (I do this in the microwave) in a small bowl until butter has melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl (use a stand mixer if you have one), combine yeast with warm water and sugar. Let yeast activate until frothy. Add milk mixture and beaten egg; stir to blend well.
• Add 2 cups of flour, salt, oregano and garlic powder to the mixing bowl; stir to blend well. Add pepperoni and cheeses; stir again. Add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until a stiff dough that is only slightly sticky has formed.
• Knead dough with the stand mixer for 3 minutes, then turn out onto lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. If you aren’t using a stand mixer, once the dough has come together in the bowl, lift out and knead dough for 6-7 minutes by hand, on a lightly-floured work surface.
• Transfer kneaded dough to a large, clean bowl that has been lightly greased with butter or oil, flipping dough to grease it all over. Cover bowl with plastic or beeswax wrap and let rise 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Scoop risen dough out of bowl with your hands and place on a sheet of parchment paper or very lightly floured work surface, patting down to release the gas that formed while the dough was rising. Cut the dough into fourteen equal sized pieces then roll each piece into a ‘snake’ about 10 inches (25 cm) long and place each one on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch between them. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, preheat oven to 400F. When oven has come up to temperature, uncover the breadsticks and brush with melted butter. Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden. The best way to check for doneness is with an instant read thermometer; it should register 190F in the middle of a breadstick.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, with pizza sauce for dipping.

Makes 14 large breadsticks.