Twisted Rough-Puff Cheese Straws with Aged Cheddar & Parmesan

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Cocktail-hour cheese straws done the long way — a quick rough-puff dough made with visible sheets of cold butter, layered with aged cheddar and parmesan, then twisted so the pastry shatters and the cheese caramelises into lacy edges. They bake in about 20 minutes and stay crisp for days, which is exactly why bar kitchens keep a tray of them by the taps.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g), plus more for rolling
• 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter (226 g / 2 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup ice water, plus 1–2 tbsp more as needed
• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 6 oz aged sharp cheddar, coarsely grated (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 1/2 oz parmesan, finely grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp whole milk
• 2 tbsp parmesan, finely grated, for sprinkling
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• 2 tsp sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the dough: in a wide bowl, whisk the flour, fine salt, mustard powder and cayenne. Add the cold butter cubes and toss to coat. Press each cube flat between your fingers or with a rolling pin motion against the bowl until you have ragged, coin-sized flakes of butter — do not rub it in to a sand texture. You want visible sheets.
2. Stir the lemon juice into the 1/2 cup ice water, then drizzle it over the flour in three additions, tossing with a fork between each. Squeeze a handful: it should just hold together. Add 1–2 tbsp more ice water only if it crumbles apart. Press into a rough 6-inch square, wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes.
3. On a well-floured counter, roll the dough into a 8 x 16-inch rectangle (it will look shaggy and marbled — that's correct). Fold it in thirds like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, and roll out again to 8 x 16 inches. Repeat for a total of 3 letter folds, dusting off excess flour each time. Wrap and chill 30 minutes; the dough must be firm and cold before the cheese goes in.
4. Toss the grated cheddar with the parmesan, smoked paprika and black pepper. Roll the chilled dough to a 12 x 16-inch rectangle with a long side facing you. Scatter the cheese mixture evenly over the left half, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold the bare right half over the cheese and press the edges to seal. Roll gently, mostly lengthwise, to a 10 x 14-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Slide onto a sheet pan and chill 15 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 400°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two sheet pans with parchment. Beat the egg with the milk.
6. Brush the dough all over with egg wash, then sprinkle with the 2 tbsp parmesan, flaky salt and seeds if using. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut crosswise into strips about 3/4 inch wide (you'll get roughly 24).
7. Lift each strip, twist it 3 or 4 times from the ends into a corkscrew, and lay it on the parchment, pressing both ends firmly onto the pan so the twist holds. Space them 1 inch apart. Chill the pans 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating — cold dough puffs higher.
8. Bake 18–22 minutes, swapping and rotating the pans at the 12-minute mark, until deeply golden, crisp all the way through, and the escaped cheese has browned into lace at the edges. If the centres still look pale and doughy, give them 3 more minutes; underbaked straws go soft.
9. Cool on the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool at least 10 minutes more before serving — they crisp fully as they cool. Serve at room temperature, standing upright in a glass or jar.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem