Mummy-Wrapped Breadsticks

Ingredients

Dough

• 500g (4 cups) bread flour 100%
• 310g (1⅓ cups) warm water (38°C/100°F) 62%
• 7g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast (1 standard packet) 1.4%
• 9g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt 1.8%
• 12g (1 tbsp) sugar 2.4%
• 25g (2 tbsp) olive oil 5%

Finish and Faces

• 1 egg (1 egg) large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water (egg wash)
• 30g (12 olives) black olives, sliced (for eyes)
• 225g (24 ciliegine) small mozzarella balls (optional, for stuffed mummy bites)

Dips

• 240g (1 cup) marinara sauce, warmed
• 120g (½ cup) pesto (optional 'slime' dip)

Total flour: 500g

Hydration: 62%

Pro tip: This is the same easy dough I use for pizza night. Make a double batch, mummify half, and stash the rest in the fridge for tomorrow's pizza.

Equipment

• Digital Kitchen Scale
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Bench Knife (optional)
• Two Baking Sheets with Parchment
• Pastry Brush

Method

Make the Dough (15 minutes active)

A simple lean dough with a touch of oil for softness. Kids can do every step of this phase with their hands.

1. Mix the Yeast and Water. Stir the instant yeast and sugar into the warm water and let it sit 5 minutes until it smells yeasty and looks a little foamy.
2. Make a Shaggy Dough. Add the flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix with a spoon or your hands until no dry flour remains.
3. Knead. Knead 8 minutes until smooth and stretchy. If it sticks, wet your hands instead of adding flour. Extra flour now means stiff bandages later.

First Rise (1 hour)

One rise is all this dough needs.

1. Cover and Rise. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it double, about 1 hour in a warm kitchen.

Wait: First Rise

Build the Mummies (25 minutes, kids on deck)

Here's where the party starts. The trick that makes these look great: the body is one solid stick, and the bandages are separate ragged strips wrapped over it. Messy wrapping looks MORE like a mummy, so hand this job to the kids with confidence.

1. Divide Body and Bandages. Cut off one third of the dough (about 280g) and set it aside for bandages. Divide the rest into 12 pieces, about 47g each.
2. Roll the Bodies. Roll each piece into a smooth stick about 15cm (6 inches) long. Place them on parchment-lined sheets with room between.
3. Cut the Bandages. Roll the reserved dough into a thin rectangle, about 25x20cm (10x8 inches). With a bench knife or pizza cutter, cut it into thin strips about 1cm (⅜ inch) wide.
4. Wrap the Mummies. Drape 3-4 strips across each body at odd angles, leaving a small gap near the top for the face. Press the strip ends underneath so they don't unravel in the oven. Crossed, crooked, and overlapping is exactly right.

Tip: Leave the face gap before you wrap. It's the one detail that turns 'breadstick with strips' into 'mummy'.

Rest, Bake, and Add the Eyes (35 minutes)

A short rest puffs the mummies, the egg wash browns the bandages, and the eyes go on at the end.

1. Rest and Wash. Let the wrapped mummies rest 15-20 minutes while the oven preheats to 200°C (400°F). Brush all over with egg wash.
2. Bake. Bake 14-16 minutes until the bandages are golden and the bodies sound hollow when tapped underneath.
3. Give Them Eyes. While warm, press two small pieces of sliced black olive into each face gap. For candy eyes on a sweet party table, attach them after cooling with a dab of cream cheese.

Wait: Bench Rest

Two Builds, One Dough

Classic mummy breadsticks for the platter, or cheese-stuffed mummy bites when you want the pull-apart cheese shot.

Mummy Breadsticks (recommended)

The classic. A 6-inch breadstick body wrapped in ragged strips.

1. Roll Bodies. 12 sticks, 15cm each, from two thirds of the dough.
2. Wrap. Ragged thin strips over each body, face gap left open, ends tucked under.

Cheese-Stuffed Mummy Bites

Wrap a mozzarella ball completely in strips for a molten center. Bake at the same temperature for 12-14 minutes and serve warm, while the cheese still pulls.

1. Wrap the Cheese. Divide dough into 24 pieces, flatten each, seal a mozzarella ball inside, then wrap with thin strips.
2. Seal Well. Pinch every seam. Escaped cheese is the number one failure here.

Proof test: These need only a short bench rest, not a full proof. Slightly puffy is ready.

Hot and Fast

A hot oven sets the bandages before the bodies overproof.

Oven: 200°C / 400°F. Internal temperature when done: 90°C / 195°F.

Baking Sheet (Recommended) (recommended)

Two parchment-lined sheets, rotated halfway.

Equipment: Baking sheets, parchment

1. Preheat. 200°C (400°F), racks in upper and lower thirds.
2. Bake. 14-16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway, until golden.
3. Serve. Serve warm with marinara 'blood', cheese sauce, or pesto 'slime'.

Note: If the bandages brown before the bodies are done, drop to 190°C (375°F) and give them 2 extra minutes.

Storage

• Room temperature: Best the day they're baked. Up to 2 days in an airtight container.
• Refrigerated: Not recommended for the plain sticks. Stuffed bites: 2 days, reheated to serve.
• Frozen: Up to 1 month. Freeze baked and cooled, then refresh at 180°C (350°F) for 8 minutes.

Add the olive eyes after reheating, not before freezing. Nobody wants a wrinkled eye on their mummy.

Frequently Asked Questions

My bandage strips unraveled in the oven. How do I stop that?

Press the ends of every strip underneath the body so the mummy's own weight pins them down. A light egg wash under the strips also helps them fuse on.

Can I use store-bought pizza dough?

Yes. One 500g ball of store dough makes about 8 mummies. Let it come to room temperature first or the strips will snap back when you roll them.

How far ahead can I build them for a party?

Shape and wrap up to 4 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate on the baking sheets. Egg wash and bake straight from the fridge, adding 2 minutes to the bake time.

The dough is too sticky for my kids to handle. What now?

Wet hands, not more flour. Have a small bowl of water on the counter and let everyone dip their fingers. It works, and the kids love the permission to get messy.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 mummy (75g)): 175 calories, 32g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 3g fat, 1g fiber, 300mg sodium. Makes 12 servings.