Buckwheat Cheese Straws

Buckwheat cheese straws never last long when I bake them. They’re tasty, dramatic, butter-kissed and punctuated with baked flecks of melted cheese. To my eye, the toasted cheddar bits look a bit like orange moss – but maybe I’m over-thinking things. After you get the hang of it, these are easy to make. Although, it might take a practice twig or two. The inspiration for this recipe was rye-thyme cheese straw recipe I enjoyed years ago baked from Jerry Traunfeld’s The Herbal Kitchen. Think of these as a distant cousin!

Cheese Straws & Edible Tablescapes

Before we get to the recipe I should also say, another thing I love about cheese straws is all the ways you can display them at the table. They make a dramatic centerpiece standing upright in a small glass or jar, but are just as much fun lying down, stacked and tangled together like an edible pile of sticks. Big bouquets of cheese straws in larger vessels is the way to go if you have more baking capacity. The drama!

How To Make Buckwheat Cheese Straws

If you know how to make pie dough, the process here is quite similar.  To start, butter and flour is combined until a sandy texture is achieved. Ice water is added to bring the ingredients together and formed into a patty.  Chill until ready to shape the straws.

Next, roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut into strips as pictured below.

For the final straw shape, roll the dough into long pieces and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisped.

Other Shapes?

If you get tired of making straws, you might stamp out various shapes. I haven’t tried it with this exact dough, but I suspect it would work nicely. Keep the dough 1/4-inch thick or less, and keep a close eye on things while they are baking. 

Cheese Straws: Variations

You can certainly experiment with a number of the variables here. This recipe calls for a cheddar, but you could certainly experiment with gruyere, Swiss cheese, pecorino, or other hard cheese. I’ve also noticed a few great suggestions in the comments including this one.

• Cheese ribbons: Sue says, “For a variation, my ex-husband, the chef, used to run breadstick dough thru the pasta machine, let it rest (in fridge?), cut it in very long, very thin strips, then twist them and even roll the tops of the sticks around something tubular while baking. Very fanciful, magical centerpieces. And sprinkled with large grain salt, they sparkle!”

Other Homemade Crackers

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