Cheese Sticks (Saratele) – these cheesy and delicious breadsticks are a great snack we usually make during the holidays but can be enjoyed throughout the year.
Today I bring you one of my mother in law’s recipe for cheese sticks or “saratele” as we call them in Romanian. I shared this recipe with you many years ago but since it’s one of my favorite recipes ever, I thought I’d post about it again!
I’ve been eating these all my life but I’ve only learned to make them back in 2006 when my mother in law gave me her recipe. I was super excited when she did because she’s been making these for decades so it really is an honor that she shared them with me!
I’m so glad that I married a Romanian man because we have this tradition in common. But even if you didn’t grow up with these holiday dishes you can still enjoy them. Especially these cheese sticks, who doesn’t love a good cheese stick? Although we usually make these during the holidays, they really are good year round for any occasion.
Saratele are just simple Romanian breadsticks stuffed with and sprinkled with cheese, need I say more? They are feasted on over the holidays but sometimes I’ll make them in the dead of summer because they go great with a cold beer! I know – someone stop me!
Ingredients
- Yeast – We’re using dry active yeast today.
- Dry ingredients – All purpose flour and salt.
- Wet ingredients – Ricotta cheese, plain yogurt, margarine, and eggs.
- Cheese – Gruyere to be shredded fresh and sprinkled over top our cheese sticks before popping them in the oven. Parmesan cheese also works great.
Margarine? Not Butter?
You’ll notice the recipe calls for margarine, but I hardly ever use margarine so I’ve also tried it with butter. I have to say the margarine version is better, so I’ll leave that up to you. Call me crazy, but margarine works!
Can I Use Instant Yeast?
Absolutely! It will even make your job easier since no proofing is required. That is basically the only difference between instant yeast and active dry yeast, whether proofing is required or not. Simply add the yeast to the rest of the ingredients and mix, it’s that easy.
How To Make Cheese Sticks (Saratele)
- Combine the batter: To the bowl of your mixer add the ricotta cheese, yogurt, margarine, egg, yeast, salt and beat using the paddle attachment of your mixer over medium until well incorporated. Add 1/2 of the flour, continue mixing until well incorporated then add the remaining flour, switch to the hook attachment and continue mixing until the dough comes off the sides of the bowl.
- Let the dough rise: Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Assemble the cheese sticks: Cut the dough into 2 pieces. Sprinkle some flour over your work surface and roll out one of the dough pieces into a rectangle so that it’s about 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut them into long strips and place them onto the prepared baking sheets. You can poke holes into each stick using the end of a skewer, but this step is optional.
- Egg wash: Brush the sticks with the egg wash then sprinkle with the shredded gruyere cheese.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. While the sticks are baking repeat with remaining piece of dough.
No Gruyere?
Well no fear! You can sprinkle some other tasty ingredients over top your little cheese sticks.
- Parmesan cheese
- Asiago cheese
- Caraway seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Oregano
How To Store Saratele
You can keep them right on the counter on a plate! Or just wrap the bread sticks with plastic wrap, then refrigerate. When serving again, you can place them on a pan directly in the oven for a few more minutes to heat them through.
Make Ahead
These are great to make ahead. Prepare them as you would then wrap the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month so that they stay frozen and separated. Take them out of the freezer and allow to thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to eat.
Next bake them and serve.
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Cheese Sticks (Saratele)
Ingredients
- 8 ounce ricotta cheese
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 6 ounce margarine
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 1 cups gruyere cheese shredded
Instructions
- To the bowl of your mixer add the ricotta cheese, yogurt, margarine, egg, yeast, salt and beat using the paddle attachment of your mixer over medium until well incorporated. Add 1/2 of the flour, continue mixing until well incorporated then add the remaining flour, switch to the hook attachment and continue mixing until the dough comes off the sides of the bowl.
- Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut the dough into 2 pieces. Sprinkle some flour over your work surface and roll out one of the dough pieces into a rectangle so that it’s about 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut them into long strips and place them onto the prepared baking sheets. You can poke holes into each stick using the end of a skewer, but this step is optional.
- Brush the sticks with the egg wash then sprinkle with the shredded gruyere cheese.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. While the sticks are baking repeat with remaining piece of dough.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Please note that I have doubled the recipe in the video, because we just love these so much.
- Butter can also be used in place of margarine.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- This recipe yields about 6 dozen sticks and nutritional information is based on about 4 sticks per serving.
- You can keep them right on the counter on a plate! Or just wrap the bread sticks with plastic wrap, then refrigerate. When serving again, you can place them on a pan directly in the oven for a few more minutes to heat them through.
- These are great to make ahead. Prepare them as you would then wrap the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month so that they stay frozen and separated. Take them out of the freezer and allow to thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to eat. Next bake them and serve.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Hello Jo. Where i live, we can’t always get ricotta. Could you suggest a substitute for it?
Thanks tons
Some softened cream cheese will work!
Mmmm, ” saratele” so good, especially beside a nice glass of wine.
How many eggs does the dough have 1 or 2? The recipe says one but the video shows 2 ?. Thank you I cant wait to make them. It brings back memories from choldhood ..
The video has the recipe doubled 🙂
Saratele!! I haven’t made some in years, thank you for the reminder, now I am really craving them. My recipe (from my aunt) is completely different, but she uses margarine too. Absolutely delicious! But I would love to try your mother-in-law’s version as well, the ricotta sounds interesting and the pictures are mouth watering. Craciun Fericit!
Oh I’m pretty sure all recipes are different, you know how they did recipes, it was all in their heads. 🙂 Happy holidays to you too!
Jo! This recipe looks INSANE!!! I may have to shuffle my entire Christmas baking schedule just to fit this in! 😉 WOOF from Dozer!
You need to, and you have to double the recipe like me, there can never be enough!
I assume the yeast is added along with the flour? The recipe, as written, doesn’t state when to add the yeast.
Are you sure? I see it there! Just kidding, thanks for catching that. Recipe has been updated.
Hi Jo. These look great. I am saving the recipe to try. I am so glad I found your site. I was born in Romania too but grew up in the US since I was 3. My dad tells me of a version of these they used to make with untura (lard) when he was growing up. I would love to make it for him. Do you think I could replace the margarine with the lard or is that a different recipe all together? Mii de multumiri!
Hi Simona,
I think you could, they might turn up even flakier, but I’m not 100% since I never really cooked with lard, just what I remember. Let me know how they turn out if you try it with lard.
Cheese sticks are always my favorite. There are frying and baking versions. But we usually go with the frying one.
Anyway, your pictures look so yummy! ^^
I do a lot of baking bread and these sound very scrumptious..Thankyou! I am always looking for new recipes and am so glad to have found your site!
Thanks Dee, I’m glad you like my recipes. These cheese sticks truly are one of my favorite. 🙂
Wondered why you roll the dough into a large triangle? I can’t visualize how to cut the strips the same size that way.
Sorry, not a triangle, just roll out the dough into a big square or rectangle. In either case it doesn’t have to be perfect, the sticks are not the same size, they can really be any size you want.
I used your fabulous looking bread sticks recipe to go with my hearty winter soup inspiration for my winter tailgating party – http://blog.inspirationbug.com/2011/12/26/party-winter-tailgating-party/ Thanks for sharing!
Hi Juli,
I’m glad you enjoyed the cheese sticks.
Happy Holidays.
Wow…, my mouth is watering. I am definitely going to make these!
One question though. The recipe calls for egg yolk (for the dough), but it seems like you have the whole egg in the photo. So it’s ok to use the full egg??
Yes it’s ok, I used the whole egg. Good luck.
looks so easy, im gonna try these (jus coz i looove cheese) 🙂
I absolutely love bread sticks like these! they’re my favourite out of a pizza set!