To a bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sourdough starter, sugar and melted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until smooth.

You can also mix and knead the dough by hand, but you will need to knead the dough slightly longer, 8-10 minutes, to achieve the windowpane test.

200 grams warm water,200 grams active sourdough starter,25 grams sugar,57 grams unsalted butter, melted

To the wet ingredients, add the flour and salt. With the hook attachment, mix again on low speed. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the dry ingredients and then continue to mix on low for 1-2 minutes.

405 grams bread flour,9 grams salt

Once all of the ingredients have been incorporated, continue to knead the dough on medium speed for 6-8 minutes.

You’ll know the dough has been kneaded completely when it is smooth and elastic. The dough will completely pull away from the sides of the bowl when it is being kneaded and it will pass the windowpane test.

This means when you stretch a small section of dough into a thin film, the light will be able to pass through without the dough tearing. If this is accomplished, the dough has been properly kneaded.

Remove the dough and place it in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a reusable cover.

Place the dough in a warm place in your kitchen and allow the dough to double in size.

In my 70 degree proofing box, this took about 5 hours. The bulk rise greatly depends on the temperature of your dough and kitchen. If you have a colder kitchen, the rise time will take longer. If your kitchen runs warm, the first rise will take less time.

Once the dough has at least doubled in size, punch the top of the dough to remove all the air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.

Gently stretch the dough into a rough rectangle shape. With a bench scraper, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces (about 55g each).

Roll each piece of dough into a 6-7 inch rope, then place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all the breadsticks are shaped.

Once shaped, cover the baking sheet with this plastic cover and let the dough rest for its second rise.

The final proof is complete when the breadsticks have almost doubled in size and look puffy. This took about 1 ½ – 2 hours in my 70 degree kitchen.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and bake for 13-15 minutes or until the breadsticks are beautifully golden brown and the internal temperature is 190 – 200 degrees F.

If the breadsticks are starting to brown too quickly, cover them with aluminum foil and continue to bake.

While the breadsticks are baking, prepare the garlic butter by adding the melted butter, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt in a small bowl. Whisk until incorporated and set aside.

42 grams unsalted butter, melted,1 gram salt,1 gram garlic powder,dried parsley

Remove the Sourdough Breadsticks from the oven. With a pastry brush, brush the tops of the breadsticks with the garlic butter while they are still warm. Serve the Sourdough Breadsticks warm and enjoy!

Refer to the Sample Baking Schedule above in the blog post.

Water – I used water that was 100–110°F. If you use cooler water, bulk fermentation will slow down. The water shouldn’t be a degree warmer than 120°F, otherwise, this can kill your sourdough starter.

Flour– You can make these breadsticks with all-purpose flour, but I recommend bread flour. The higher protein content helps the dough rise better and makes the breadsticks softer and fluffier.

Sugar – You can substitute the sugar for cane sugar or honey. Use the same amount in grams.

Unsalted Butter – If you substitute with salted butter, reduce the salt by 1 gram (¼ teaspoon).

To shape, place your fingertips at the center of each piece of dough. Gently roll your hands back and forth while gradually moving them outward toward the ends. Continue this motion until the breadstick reaches the desired length and thickness.

Pinch the ends and any seams of each breadsticks for a more finished look.

Be sure not to rush the 2nd rise! Otherwise, the breadsticks will bake up dense, gummy and pale.