Yeast-Raised Cornbread Sticks

Growing up I have many fond memories of my mom in the kitchen cooking dinner and making our family delicious baked treats. Although everything she made wasn't from scratch, it was my mom's cooking and I loved it.

As a child, I never tasted what a homemade biscuit was like. The only biscuits I knew of came compressed in a tube. You know the ones... you peel the paper, hit them on the counter, wait for the exploding 'gun shot' type exploding sound, peel it open... and BAM- you've got biscuits.

Well along those same lines I remember a product that came compressed in the same exploding tube, but they were cornbread sticks. Let me tell you, for being a highly processed convenient food laced with chemicals and preservatives- they were good!

Last weekend my kids requested my Cinnamon Roll Bread Sticks for breakfast. While enjoying their cinnamon gooey goodness, I got to thinking about those exploding canned cornbread breadsticks again. (Don't ask me why. I can't explain the random thoughts my brain shoots out at times.)

Then I had another lightbulb moment.

Sherron, from Simply Gourmet Photography, inspired me again. I've expressed before about my love for her amazing Homemade Breadsticks that are done in about an hour. My family can't get enough of them! Her wonderful recipe led me to create my Cinnamon Roll Bread Sticks. That recipe also led me to create my latest recipe: yeasted cornbread sticks.

Now, there are no exploding cans. There are no ingredients you can't pronounce. Just good and easy homemade cornbread sticks that are ready in about an hour.  Unlike regular cornbread, these cornbread sticks are light, fluffy, and totally delicious.

You can't beat that!

Yeast-Raised Cornbread Sticks
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1 stick butter

Directions:
1. In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, dissolve the yeast, honey, and water together.  Allow it to sit for a few minutes, until bubbly.

2. Add the salt, flour, and corn meal.  "Knead" in the mixer for about 3 minutes. The dough will be sticky but it should eventually pull away from the sides of the mixer. Add a little more flour if necessary.

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 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter in a 375 degree F. oven. Keep an eye on the butter to make sure it doesn't burn.

5. Roll the dough to fit the rimmed sheet pan. With a pizza wheel, cut the strips about 1 1/2 inches wide. (I get about 11-12 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.

6. Allow the bread sticks to rise on the hot pan for about 10-20 minutes.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Serve with additional honey.

Please stop by and check out Simply Gourmet Photography's original recipe for Homemade Breadsticks. She is one talented photographer and cook!