Cheesy Bread Sticks

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine lukewarm water and yeast. Whisk to mix. Let stand 5 minutes or until creamy.

• In a large bowl, combine yeast mixture, lukewarm water, honey, powdered milk, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Whisk to combine. Add flour a ½ cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until it's too stiff to mix. Turn out the dough from the bowl to a well-floured countertop and knead for 10 minutes, adding flour to the work surface and your hands as needed. The dough is ready once it is smooth, elastic and springy.

• Transfer dough to an oiled large bowl, turning the dough once to cover with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.

• Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured surface and gently flatten. Sprinkle the surface with half of the grated cheese, fold the sides of the dough over and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Knead the dough until all of the cheese is incorporated. Return the dough to the oiled bowl and leave to rest for 15 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Divide the dough into 16 pieces and arrange on a lightly floured cutting board covered with a tea towel. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

• To make the bread sticks, roll out each piece of dough on a clean, not floured surface to create a 10 in. (25 cm) stick. Arrange 8 breadsticks on each baking sheet. Cover with towels and let rise 20 minutes. Just before baking, baste each bread stick with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake on middle and lower racks for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to rack and leave to cool.