This is a recipe for my gluten free and vegan garlic breadsticks served with a dairy free roasted pimiento and cheese dip
As a child I loved making dips. So naturally I needed to make something to go with the dip. Fried wanton wrappers was a favorite as were any kind of “chips”. Pizza type breadsticks was another favorite. Of course it got easier to simply buy breadsticks than to make them, at least until I went gluten free
Getting “fresh” gluten free (and vegan) breadsticks to buy is almost impossible. My solution? Make my own, et voila, this recipe
This recipe is fried then baked which make’s it more appealing and it is not GREASY! You could flavor, season and shape it to your liking. It is best served within a few hours otherwise it will lose the crunch (I can’t see how it would last a few hours though). If you’re making ahead or just want to keep the breadsticks crispy, store in a warming drawer or your oven on a keep warm setting (usually around 200F)
This dip is dairy free, I use nutritional yeast to get the cheesy flavor and the roasted pimientos to add some depth. I like coconut milk here because it has more body than store bought almond milk for example. Just like the breadsticks, you can definitely add more (or less) seasoning to the dip. If you’re not up to making the dip, a store bought gluten free dip would do
You can bake these breadsticks without frying them. I also have another breadstick recipe that is baked that you can try
As always if you have questions send me a message and I’ll help where I can
Gluten Free and Vegan Garlic Breadsticks Recipe
(with a dairy free roasted pimiento and cheese dip)
Ingredients
The Breadsticks
½ cup brown rice flour
¼ tapioca starch
¼ cup potato starch (not potato flour)
2 tbsp almond flour
½ tbsp psyllium husk powder (or ¾ tsp xanthan gum)
¼ tsp instant yeast
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp of dried basil*
¼ tsp of dried oregano*
dash of cayenne powder (to taste)
3-5 finely chopped garlic gloves (to taste)
95 g of potato boiled and mashed (e.g. russet)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup coconut milk (more if needed)
1 tsp vinegar
tapioca for rolling out the breadsticks
Oil for frying
*fresh finely chopped basil and oregano can be used
Cheesy Roasted Pimiento and Tomato Dip
4 – 5 large pimiento
160 g tomatoes (diced)
1 small onion (chopped)
4-5 garlic cloves (chopped)
½ tsp salt
2 – 4 tbsp nutritional yeast**
dash of cayenne pepper
2-3 fresh basil leaves
½ – ¾ cup coconut milk
Oil for sauteing
**Adding more nutritional yeast will make the sauce cheesier
Making the Dough
Mix together the dry ingredients until properly combined. Add in the chopped garlic and mix again
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients all at once. Mix or knead to form a somewhat smooth dough. The dough should be lightly sticky to the touch but firm and easy to handle.
Cover the mixing bowl or wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes. You can also refrigerate the dough for several hours or overnight. The longer rest period enhances the flavor of the dough.
After the rest period continue to shaping the dough
If you used a longer rest time, when ready remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to warm up a bit if it is too stiff to work with. There is no need to let it come to room temperature.
Shaping the Dough
Pre-heat your oven to 425F. Line a tray (12” x 8” at least) with parchment paper and set aside
In a skillet heat to moderate some oil for frying, enough to almost cover the breadsticks (a little less that ½” in height)
Prepare a floured surface to make the bread sticks. Since the dough is not very sticky, it should be fairly easy to work with and you should not need a lot of flour to roll it out. You can moisten your hands with oil or water, or dust your hands with some of the tapioca starch to help you handle the dough.
Pinch off a piece of the dough, leaving the remainder of the dough covered while you work. Roll the dough into a smooth ball then roll the ball to form a noodle about 1/2” thick. Cut the noodle into your desired length, I made mini breadsticks each around 3½” long. Place the bread stick on the baking tray and continue until all the bread sticks have been made
Starting with the first one (you can do several at a time without overcrowding) fry the bread sticks until lightly browned on each side. Remove form the oil and drain on paper towel (I place a layer or two of paper towel over the parchment paper in the tray I have prepared and when I’m ready I simply remove the paper towel)
Once you finish frying, place the tray in the oven and bake for 8 – 10 minutes. The breadsticks are done when they have browned
Remove from the oven, allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. If using the same day and within a couple of hours, you can leave the breadsticks on a low keep warm setting in your oven (200F or less and covered with foil).
Best served the same day, otherwise wrap tightly and store in the freezer for an extended period of time
Making the Dip
Pre-heat your oven to 425F
Place the pimientos whole or sliced in half on a baking tray. Bake until the skin is blistered and charred, you may need to turn the pimientos at least once. Remove once sufficiently charred and set aside
Heat a skillet on medium to low heat. Add just enough oil for sauteing. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and saute on low for about a minute. Add the tomatoes, cover the skillet and allow the tomatoes to cook on low without adding any liquid 8-10 mins. Once the tomatoes are tender and falling apart a bit add the rest of the ingredients. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes, do not let it burn, you can add more milk if you prefer a less chunky sauce. Using an immersion blender (or some other type of food processor), blend the sauce to make the dip. You can decide how chunky you want the dip and therefore how long you need to blend
Serve the sauce alongside the breadsticks