Cinnamon Roll Bread Sticks

A little while ago I came across a recipe from Simply Gourmet Photography for Homemade Breadsticks. What caught my eye? That homemade breadsticks could be ready to eat in about an hour.  I was sold. 

I tried them. I loved them. My family loved them. 

I have made the recipe so many times now that when my kids walk in the door and they smell garlic and baking bread, they know they're getting breadsticks for dinner.  (And they are thrilled!)

After making this recipe a few times a lightbulb went off. What if I could adapt this easy recipe into a new spin-off of my Cinnamon Rolls.

Ah yes, genius. (If I do say so myself.)

Cinnamon Roll Bread Sticks
(Original breadstick recipe adapted from Simply Gourmet Photography)
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients
For the bread sticks:
1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups flour
1 stick butter (plus 2 additional tablespoons needed for the cinnamon topping, 10 tablespoons total)

For the cinnamon topping:
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon of melted butter (from the above melted butter)

For the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons buttermilk (or regular milk)
2 tablespoons soft butter (or cream cheese)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, sugar, and water together.  Allow it to sit for a few minutes until bubbly.

2.  Add the salt and 3 1/4 cups of flour.  Knead for about 3 minutes.  (If you have a dough hook on your mixer, now is the time to use it.)  If the dough is too sticky, add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time until the dough has pulled away from the mixing bowl and formed a nice ball around the dough hook.  (I usually end up using 3 3/4 cup of flour total.)

3. On a generously floured surface, place the dough and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a 15x10x1-inch rimmed sheet pan, melt 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a 375 degree F oven.  (Do not try and skimp on the butter. There is no fat in the dough so feel free to justify the use of all this butter.)  Remove from the oven before it begins to brown.

5. In a small bowl, mix your cinnamon mixture together along with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter from the pan.  Mix until it resembles wet sand.  Set aside.

6.  Roll the dough to fit the rimmed sheet pan.  With a pizza wheel, cut strips about 1 1/2 inches wide. (I usually get about 11-12 bread sticks.)  Dip each bread stick into the pan of melted butter.  First one side, then the other.  Line the breadsticks up next to each other until you've got them all on the pan.

7. Cover the bread sticks with the cinnamon mixture and allow them rise for about 10-20 minutes on the warm sheet pan.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare the glaze.

9.  Allow the bread sticks to cool for 10 minutes before frosting.

Extra frosting can be thinned with more milk and used for dipping.

Enjoy! 

(Don't forget to stop by Simply Gourmet Photography and make those FANTASTIC and EASY garlic bread sticks! You will not be disappointed!)

Linked to: Everyday Mom's Meals, Skip to my Lou, County Mama Cooks, Inside BruCrew Life, Weekend Potluck