Pizza Sticks

I usually make a rectangular shaped pizza and cut it into rectangles to make pizza sticks. Though there is nothing wrong with the taste of those sticks, I never found them appealing enough looks-wise to post it on the blog. For me they look like just rectangular shaped pizza slices with sauce and cheese oozing from all sides. I prefer neat looking individual sticks over them. I therefore decided this time to slice the rolled out pizza dough into rectangles before baking rather than waiting to slice after the baking part is done.

The dough I used for these pizza sticks comes from here. This recipe has become a recent favorite of us and I have been using it quite often for delicious, homemade pizzas. I used half of the dough to make cheese pizza and the rest to make about 13 sticks. For a quicker option, store bought pizza dough can be used.

Ingredients for pizza dough: 

1 cup lukewarm water

1.5 tsp active dry yeast

1.5 tbsp sugar

1.5 tbsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil (optional) 

2 & 3/4 to 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 

Ingredients for pizza sticks:

Pizza dough (above or store-bought)

Pizza sauce 

Mozzarella cheese

Vegetable toppings if desired

Pizza seasonings any if desired

 Dough preparation:
* Add sugar, yeast and salt to lukewarm water. Mix well to combine and leave the solution in a warm place for about 10 minutes. The mixture would turn frothy by the time. 

* Start with about 2 & 1/2 cups flour and go on adding extra as needed to form a smooth, soft dough.

* Using a mixer / a bread machine set on the dough cycle / hands, knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic, about 7 to 10 minutes.

* Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours.

Making Pizza Sticks:
(I used half the dough I prepared from above measurements and divided it into two portions.) 
* Gently deflate the dough before using. Line a baking sheet with greased aluminum foil or parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 450 deg F.
* Place the dough ball directly on the sheet, shape it into a thin rectangle and slice it. If the end slices have contracted around the edges, just pull and reshape.

* Spread pizza sauce and sprinkle cheese over the slices. Arrange vegetable toppings and seasonings if using.

* Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the cheese bubbles and slightly browns.
* Remove from the oven and slice them along the previously made cuts.
* Serve immediately along with ketchup or marinara sauce.

These are on their way to BM# 43 under "Pizza" theme. Check the link to learn what other marathoners are cooking this week.

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