Olive Garden Breadsticks

From the kitchen of Todd Wilbur

Servings: Over 8
Difficulty: Easy
Cook Time: Over 120 min


Ingredients
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm
water (105 to 115 degrees F)
16 ounces bread flour (3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
On top:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Cooking Directions
Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water in a small

bowl or measuring cup and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes,

or until it becomes foamy on top.

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Use the paddle

attachment on a stand mixer to mix the softened butter into

the flour. If you don't have a stand mixer, use a mixing spoon

to combine the butter with the flour. When the yeast mixture

is foamy, pour it into the flour mixture and use a dough hook

on your mixture to combine the ingredients and knead the

dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you don't have a stand

mixer, combine the ingredients and then knead the dough

by hand on a countertop for 10 minutes.

Place the dough in

a covered container and let it sit for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it

doubles in size. When the dough has doubled, measure out 2-ounce portions

and roll the dough between your hands or on a countertop

to form sticks that are 7 inches long. Place the dough

on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, cover and set aside

for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size once

again.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake the breadsticks for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

When the breadsticks come out of the oven, immediately

brush each one with melted butter and sprinkle with a little

garlic salt.

Makes 12-13 breadsticks

*****

Anyone who loves Olive Garden is probably also a big fan

of the bottomless basket of warm, garlicky breadsticks served

before each meal at the huge Italian casual chain. My guess is that

the breadsticks are proofed, and then sent to each restaurant,

where they are baked until golden brown, brushed with butter and

sprinkled with garlic salt. Getting the bread just right for a good

clone was tricky -- I tried several different amounts of yeast in all-purpose

flour, but then finally settled on bread flour to give these

breadsticks the same chewy bite as the originals. I discovered that

the two-stage rising process is also a crucial step to making the

perfect Top Secret Recipe for these very popular soft breadsticks.