Garlic Herb Bread Twists

makes 7-8 bread twists

recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine

  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb pizza dough, (or use store-bought)
  • 1/8 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil 1 large (17- by 13-inch) baking sheet.
 
Stir together basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan in a small bowl. Stir together oil and garlic.
Gently roll out pizza dough into a 15- by 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. (Use your hands to pull corners. If dough is very elastic, cover with towel and let rest about 3 minutes.)
 
Sprinkle the top of the dough  with half of herb cheese mixture, then fold dough in half crosswise and roll lightly to form a roughly 10- by 8-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into 7-8 strips (less than 1 inch wide) with a pizza wheel or a sharp heavy knife. Keeping remaining strips covered with a kitchen towel, twist each strip from both ends and place on baking sheet, arranging twists 1 inch apart. Brush with 1 Tbsp garlic oil and let stand while forming remaining bread twists.
 
Bake bread twists, switching position of sheets halfway through, until golden, 20 to 25 minutes total.
Meanwhile, stir parsley into remaining herbed cheese mixture. Immediately after baking, brush bread twists with remaining garlic oil, then roll in parsley and cheese until coated. Serve warm or at room temperature.