Garlic Cheese Twists

     Last night we had spaghetti and rather than having the usual garlic toast, I decided to make the Garlic-Cheese Twists that I found a recipe online for. (I apologize that I cannot remember where I found it so if the person who originally posted this sees this, would you please provide a link in the comments and I will update the posting giving you credit.)
     To make the twists:

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          3 cups All-Purpose Flour
          2 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
          1 T Granulated Sugar
          1 1/2 tsp Salt
          1 1/4 cups warm Water
          1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
          1 clove Garlic, minced
          Cheddar Cheese
          Extra Virgin Olive Oil for brushing

     Spray two baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
     Combine half of the flour (1 1/2 cups) with yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add warm water and oil. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 4 minutes.
     Stir in garlic and as much of the remaining flour needed to make a stiff dough.
     Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
     Divide dough into fourths (I used a pizza cutter). Shape each portion into a ball and then divide each ball into ten portions. Shape each of these portions into a stick.
     For each twist, brush one stick with water and twist with another stick. Make sure to press together at the ends so they stay together.
     Arrange all the twists on the baking sheets about two inches apart.
     Brush twists with olive oil and sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.
     Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 50 minutes. (I put mine in the oven with the light turned on, a tip that I learned on Pinterest.)
     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
     Bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

     *The original recipe calls for Canola Oil, but I live Extra Virgin Olive Oil better and think it provides a better flavor.

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Before raising. They get bigger, but don't quite double. (I forgot to take a picture after they rose.)

Fresh out of the oven.

     The consensus? They need more garlic. You can hardly tell that there is any in there. This is most likely due to the fact that fresh garlic is not as potent as granulated garlic. Next time I make them (and there will be a next time), I am going to use two cloves of garlic and possibly sprinkle a little bit on top of the twists along with the cheese.
     Dad said that he liked how they were kind of crispy on the bottom. Mom said that was what she didn't like about them. So, next time, one pan will be baked a little less so Mom can have breadsticks that are not at all crispy.
     And Rachel? It's bread and cheese, two of her favorite foods, so there was no question about whether or not she liked them. No, the question was how many she would eat. I didn't count how many, so I can't tell you, but I do know that she ate one right as they came out of the oven, at at least one at dinner , and took at least one in her lunch today.
     I reheated one to have with my lunch today and they are still as good as they were last night.

"Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good." 

- Alice May Brock