How to Make Bosco Sticks

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 2, 2021

Bosco sticks are breadsticks that are stuffed with mozzarella cheese and coated with butter and Parmesan. They are often served with marinara sauce.^{[1]
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Research source} While the store-bought kind are delicious, the homemade ones are even tastier. Best of all, they are easy to make. If you don't want to go through the hassle of making your own bread dough from scratch, you can easily use pizza dough instead.

Ingredients

Simple Bosco Sticks

2 pounds (910 g) of pizza dough
16 lite mozzarella cheese sticks
Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Oregano, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
1 cup (100 g) of shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
Tomato sauce, for dipping

Makes 16 breadsticks

Bosco Sticks from Scratch

1 cup (100 g) of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 cup (250 g) of nonfat plain Greek yogurt
6 light string cheese sticks
1 egg

Serves 6

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making Simple Bosco Sticks

1
Preheat your oven to 425 °F (218 °C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. This will make removing the Bosco sticks easier.^{[2]
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2
Turn 1 pound (450 g) of pizza dough onto a floured surface. Cut a 2 lb (910 g) batch of pizza dough in half. Set 1 of the halves aside and turn the other half onto a lightly floured surface.^{[3]
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- Cover the other half of the pizza dough with a clean tea towel so that it doesn't dry out.
- You can use store-bought or homemade pizza dough.
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3
Roll the dough into an 8 by 16 in (20 by 41 cm) rectangle. Try to make the dough about ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) thick. If you need to, you can make the rectangle a little longer.^{[4]
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- Don't make the rectangle thicker than ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm). The dough will rise and make it thicker.
- If the dough shrinks when you roll it out, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes, then try again.
4
Cut the dough into 2 by 8 in (5.1 by 20.3 cm) strips. Cut the strips going widthwise. This way, you'll get 8 strips that are 8 inches (20 cm) tall. Use a pizza cutter or a non-serrated knife for this.^{[5]
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5
Line the center of each strip with a mozzarella cheese stick. Most mozzarella cheese sticks will be about 1 ounce (28 g). If they are bigger than that, you can cut or tear them in half lengthwise.
- Don't use whole milk mozzarella cheese. It has a higher moisture content, so it won't hold its shape as well once baked. It'll make a gooey mess.^{[6]
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6
Fold the strips in half, then pinch the edges to seal them. Make sure that you fold the strips in half lengthwise, so that they turn into 1 by 8 in (2.5 by 20.3 cm) strips. Pinch the raw edges (not the folded edges) to seal the dough.^{[7]
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- Roll each breadstick across a lightly floured surface. This will help even it out.
7
Set the breadsticks on a baking sheet and wait 30 minutes for them to rise. During this time, you should roll out the remaining 1 pound (cc g) of dough, cut it into strips, and add the mozzarella. By the time you finish, the first batch should be almost done rising.^{[8]
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- The Bosco sticks will expand to nearly twice their size, so leave about 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) between each one.
8
Brush olive oil onto the breadsticks. Pour olive oil into a small dish, then dip a basting brush into it. Sweep the brush across the top of each breadstick, reloading the brush whenever it starts to feel dry.^{[9]
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- Only do this for the Bosco sticks that have finished rising. If the second batch hasn't finished rising, wait a little longer.
9
Sprinkle the Bosco sticks with garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Take your jar of garlic powder, and shake it over the breadsticks. Do the same with the oregano and salt. For extra flavor, add a pinch of Parmesan cheese over each breadstick.^{[10]
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- How much you use of each ingredient really does not matter; just eyeball it.
- Try to distribute the ingredients as evenly as possible.
10
Put them into the oven and set the temperature to 350 °F (177 °C). Don't reduce the temperature before putting the breadsticks in. You want the temperature to gradually drop from 425 °F (218 °C) to 350 °F (177 °C) while the Bosco sticks are in the oven.^{[11]
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- If you have a big enough oven, you may be able to fit both baking sheets side-by-side. If your oven is not big enough, save the second batch for later.
- Don't put the second baking sheet on a higher or lower rack. They won't bake evenly.
11
Bake the Bosco sticks for 15 to 20 minutes. Start your timer as soon as you reduce the temperature. Don't wait for it to reach 350 °F (177 °C). The Bosco sticks are ready when they turn puffy and golden brown.^{[12]
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- Repeat the process for the second batch. Remember to raise the temperature to 425 °F (218 °C) first, then drop it to 350 °F (177 °C).
12
Wait 5 minutes for the Bosco sticks to cool before serving them. Don't transfer the Bosco sticks to a wire cooling rack; let them cool right on the baking sheet. Once the Bosco sticks are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a serving dish or a serving basket.^{[13]
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- Serve the Bosco sticks with warm tomato sauce or pizza sauce.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge. Eat them within 3 days.
- If you want to, you can reheat leftover Bosco sticks in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Baking Bosco Sticks from Scratch

1
Preheat your oven to 400 °F (204 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper so that the Bosco sticks are easier to remove.^{[14]
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2
Mix the flour with the salt, baking powder, and seasonings. Pour 1 cup (100 g) of all-purpose flour into a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Next, whisk in ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, and ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning.^{[15]
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- You can adjust the amounts of the spices to suit your liking. For example, you could use less onion powder and more Italian seasoning.
3
Stir in the Greek yogurt to finish the dough. Add 1 cup (250 g) of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt. Stir the yogurt in using a whisk until the dough starts to clump together. You may have to finish kneading it by hand in order to pick up all of the flour.^{[16]
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- Don't overwork the dough, or the Bosco sticks will turn out tough.
4
Roll the dough into a ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) thick rectangle. Try to make the rectangle about 1 inch (2.5 cm) taller than your cheese sticks, and about 12 inches (30 cm) wide.^{[17]
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5
Cut the dough into 6 strips with a non-serrated knife. You can also use a pizza cutter instead, if you have one. Try to make the strips the same width. They should already all be the same height.^{[18]
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6
Push a string cheese stick into each strip, then pinch the strips closed. Take a cheese stick and center it over the first dough strip. Press it down into the dough, then gather the dough and pinch the seam shut. Be sure to pinch the narrow ends of the strip shut as well.^{[19]
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- Do this for all 6 strips and cheese sticks. When you are done, the cheese sticks should be encased in the dough.
- Don't leave any gaps or open seams, or the cheese will flow out as it melts.
7
Set the strips onto the baking sheet, seam-side-down. Leave some space between each strip so that they can expand while baking. About 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) between each strip should be plenty.^{[20]
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- Make sure that the seamed part of each strip is facing down. This will make the bottom of the breadstick.
8
Beat an egg until it's frothy, then brush it onto the breadsticks. Crack an egg open into a small bowl or cup. Beat it with a fork or mini whisk until it turns frothy. Dip a basting brush into the beaten egg, then sweep it across the top of each breadstick.^{[21]
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- You will have to re-dip the brush into the beaten egg after every 1 or 2 breadsticks, otherwise it will be too dry.
9
Bake the Bosco sticks for 15 to 17 minutes. They are ready when they turn a golden-brown color. If they still look pale, then bake them for another 2 to 3 minutes.^{[22]
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10
Allow the Bosco sticks to cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then serve them. They taste delicious with marinara sauce, but you can also use tomato sauce or pizza sauce.^{[23]
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- If you have any Bosco sticks leftover, wrap them up in foil and store them in the fridge.
- Eat the Bosco sticks within 3 days. If you refrigerated them, warm them back up in the microwave for about 30 seconds.