Fancy Schmancy Bread Sticks, Aiming Low Style {Recipe}

Julia Child once said, “How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?” And, you know…she’s right. If you’ve ever tasted an authentic French baguette with it’s crusty exterior and soft, but chewy interior you know what she’s talking about. When done properly, homemade bread is almost better than… {insert your favorite naughty activity here}. Bread making is a labor of love though. There’s mixing and proofing and kneading and rising and rolling and more rising and…you get the point.

So, today let me introduce you to an easier way to make bread. These bread sticks may look fancy and they may taste fancy…

but they are super easy to make. By easy, I mean a couple of steps more complicated than a TV dinner. The secret is frozen puff pastry. So, yeah. It’s cheating and it may not even technically be bread. But I won’t tell if you won’t tell.

The instructions go something like this:

Thaw.
Remove from package.
Roll.
Twist.
Bake.

Easy, peasy! Enjoy before, during, or after…{insert your favorite naughty activity here}. Or, serve them at a party and prepare for your guests to ooohhh and ahhhh at your fancy breadmaking skills. Oh, and make lots of them because I assure you that these do not taste anything like kleenex.

Fancy Bread Sticks

Ingredients

* 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
* 1 egg lightly beaten with a tbsp of water
* 1.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1-2 teaspoons minced fresh or dry herbs of your choice {like rosemary or thyme}
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is approximately 10 X 12 inches.

Lightly brush the surface of the pastry with the egg wash.

Sprinkle each sheet evenly with cheese, herbs, salt and pepper.

With the rolling pin, lightly press the herbs into the puff pastry.

Cut each sheet crosswise with pizza cutter {or sharp knife} into 12 strips.

Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Lightly brush each bread stick with a little bit of egg wash and sprinkle on a little more herbs and cheese. Place the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator to cool for 15 minutes. Do not skip this step or the bread sticks will not turn out as well.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each bread stick and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature. They look especially pretty fanned out and served in jars, aluminum cans or containers.

Until next time, “Bon Appétit!”