Crunchy Cheese and Ricotta Sticks
A short, crumbly dough of ricotta, grated cheese and cold butter, baked until golden and cut into sticks the moment it comes out of the oven. Crisp outside, tender inside — the kind that disappears from the tray before it reaches the table.
They are also the friendliest way to get ricotta into an afternoon snack: you cannot taste it in the result, it just makes the dough tender.
Cut them hot. Once the sheet cools it shatters instead of slicing, and you end up with shards rather than sticks.
For the round version of the same idea, see the crunchy ricotta bites.
Ingredients
- 150 g ricotta
- 150 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 50 g grated cheese, plus extra to sprinkle
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 100 g cold butter
- 1 egg, to brush
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- 1
Put the flour, the baking powder, the grated cheese, the ricotta and the butter on the work surface. Season and work the ingredients together into an even dough without overworking it.
- 2
Roll the dough out to about 4 mm thick and lay it on a baking sheet. Brush the surface with beaten egg and sprinkle with extra grated cheese. If you can, refrigerate for 15 minutes to let the dough settle.
- 3
Bake at 200 °C until the dough is golden and crisp.
- 4
Out of the oven and still hot, cut into sticks of about 5 cm by 2 cm. Once cooled the sheet shatters instead of cutting cleanly.
The Ricotta Universe: Freshness and Flavor in Every Recipe
Mild, delicate and enormously versatile, ricotta is the star of our family table. We take you step by step through everything you can make with it, from traditional savory dishes of the Mediterranean to Slavic and regional baking. With tips on handling, draining and baking so that every one of them comes out right.
