These sourdough mozzarella sticks are cheesy, crunchy and everything we could have dreamed of with our leftover sourdough breadcrumbs. Made in the air fryer, these homemade mozzarella sticks could not be easier.
For months my husband has been asking me to make homemade mozzarella sticks. The hold up on my end? I just did not have enough leftover bread to make sourdough breadcrumbs!
Once I had a few ends of sourdough loaves to spare, I made these sourdough mozzarella sticks with homemade breadcrumbs. Let me tell you – we make these in bulk now.
They are the perfect sourdough appetizer. We will be making this as a side for our New Years Eve plans, and probably any time we get together with a crowd.
The recipe comes together in a few short steps. And the hardest part is simply waiting for the layers to freeze before baking.
We love to prepare these in advance so we can have fresh mozzarella sticks in under 10 minutes. Simply make these in bulk and they store in a freezer safe bag for months (though once you know they are there, you will grab for them regularly!).
Why you will love these sourdough mozzarella cheese sticks
Kitchen Equipment
There are a few pieces of kitchen equipment which make this recipe easy.
- Sheet pan or cookie sheet (Small enough to fit in the freezer)
- Plastic Wrap (optional – to cover the sheet pan in the freezer)
- Air fryer (optional)
- Two bowls (Large enough to fit a mozzarella stick)
Ingredients for sourdough Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
- Sourdough breadcrumbs We collect the slices of bread we make too thin and the butts of the bread to make homemade sourdough breadcrumbs. The sourdough breadcrumbs are stored in our freezer, just waiting to be used on mozzarella sticks or sourdough mac and cheese bites!
- Spices – option to use Italian seasoning or make your own with the Italian herbs and spices below:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parsley
- Garlic Powder
- Onion
- Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (aka string cheese!) It is important these are not the reduced fat variety to have the “cheesiest string”. When pulled apart, we want the gooey cheese.
- Dipping Sauce Any kind of tomato based sauce will do – marinara sauce, pizza sauce, pasta sauce. You can also use ranch dressing
How to make sourdough breadcrumb mozzarella sticks
When reading through the instructions on how to make sourdough mozzarella sticks in the air fryer, do not fear! There is a bit of waiting time between when the recipe is prepared vs ready to cook.
However, this recipe does great when made ahead. To begin, start by ensuring you have the necessary ingredients: sourdough breadcrumbs and mozzarella cheese sticks.
If you do not already have sourdough breadcrumbs made, do so now. We save some of our leftover sourdough bread in a bag in the freezer (especially the pieces which are cut too small or are the ends of the bread).
It is easy to use these pieces to make your own homemade sourdough breadcrumbs. We then store the additional sourdough breadcrumbs in the freezer.
Next, freeze the mozzarella cheese sticks in the freezer. I recommend placing them in a ziplock bag, or sticking the entire bag upon purchase directly in the freezer.
Once the mozzarella cheese sticks are frozen, unwrap them. Place them onto a sheet pan.
Whisk one egg in a bowl. To another bowl, make italian bread crumbs by combining Italian herbs and spices with sourdough bread crumbs.
Take each mozzarella stick and dunk it in the egg, covering it entirely. Next, dunk it in the sourdough breadcrumbs.
Line your sheet pan with aluminum foil or wax paper. Ensure the mozzarella sticks are separate and laid out on the sheet pan. Save the reserve for the second round of dipping the breadsticks.
Place the mozzarella cheese sticks back in the freezer. All to freeze (about 30 minutes). Complete the dunking process again – egg wash first, then sourdough breadcrumbs.
The secondary egg wash / sourdough breadcrumb coating will ensure the mozzarella stays in tact when heated rather than exploding out the ends when exposed to heat.
Place back in the freezer on a sheet pan until frozen. Keep in freezer until ready to air fry / bake.
For longer storage, place in a ziplock baggie for up to 3 months. As long as the pieces are frozen before going into the bag, they will not stick to each other when removed.
Frying sourdough mozzarella cheese sticks in Air Fryer
To make sourdough mozzarella sticks in the air fryer – begin by covering the interior of the fryer with oil. Brush with olive oil, avocado oil or cooking spray of choice. We love this oil dispenser which has a silicone basting brush as it acts as a 2-in-1 kitchen item. It reminds us of a pastry brush!
Some people will go the extra mile and use a piece of foil on the bottom to save themselves time later. It can be a little bit difficult to remove melty cheese from the air fryer if it sits for a bit.
The frying process is quick. Heat the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 375 degrees.
Remove the mozzarella sticks from the freezer and place a few in the basket – spaced apart. Ensure there is space between the sourdough breadcrumbs mozzarella sticks to easily turn them.
Allow to bake for 7-8 minutes before turning. Cook for a total of 10-12 minutes. The exterior may turn golden brown. Some cheese may leak out of the corner, this is normal.
Remove from air fryer and enjoy in your favorite dipping sauce.
Baking mozzarella cheese sticks in the Oven
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicone mat.
Place the sourdough mozzarella sticks on the baking sheet with enough space in between to flip them while cooking.
Cook for 10 – 12 minutes, flipping halfway. The mozzarella sticks may turn golden brown and will be done with cheese is gooey on inside when bent.
Allow to cool slightly before serving with favorite dipping sauce.
How to store sourdough breadstick mozzarella cheese sticks
These mozzarella cheese sticks taste best right out of the air fryer / oven. They can be reheated in the microwave, though they will likely leak cheese.
Do not cook in microwave if direct from freezer to ensure the egg wash completely cooks.
If preparing the sourdough mozzarella sticks in advance, we recommend freezing them. Complete the second egg wash / sourdough bread crumb coating and allow to freeze completely on a sheet pan before sticking them in a ziplock bag.
If frozen before placing in the bag or airtight container, they will not stick together when thawing. This will give you the best results to ensure the coating stays in tact as opposed to sticking together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sourdough Mozzarella Sticks
Equipment
- 1 Sheet Pan
- 2 bowls
- 1 Air fryer
Ingredients
- 8 Mozzarella Sticks
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Sourdough Breadcrumbs
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning or Parsley Optional
- Dipping Sauce (Marinara or Ranch) Amount varies.
Instructions
- Freeze the mozzarella cheese sticks in the freezer. I recommend placing them in a ziplock bag, or sticking the entire bag upon purchase directly in the freezer.
- Once the mozzarella cheese sticks are frozen, unwrap them. Place them onto a sheet pan.
- Whisk one egg in a bowl. To another bowl, add spices and sourdough bread crumbs.
- Take each mozzarella stick and dunk it in the egg, covering it entirely. Next, dunk it in the sourdough breadcrumbs.
- Ensure the mozzarella sticks are separate and laid out on the sheet pan. Save the reserve for the second round of dipping the breadsticks.
- Place the mozzarella cheese sticks back in the freezer. All to freeze (about 30 minutes). Complete the dunking process again – egg wash first, then sourdough breadcrumbs.
- The secondary egg wash / sourdough breadcrumb coating will ensure the mozzarella stays in tact when heated rather than exploding out the ends when exposed to heat.
- Place back in the freezer on a sheet pan until frozen. Keep in freezer until ready to air fry / bake.
- If storing for later, place in a ziplock baggie for up to 3 months. As long as the pieces are frozen before going into the bag, they will not stick to each other when removed.
Frying sourdough mozzarella cheese sticks in Air Fryer
- To make sourdough mozzarella sticks in the air fryer – begin by covering the interior of the fryer with oil. Brush with olive oil, avocado oil or cooking spray of choice. We love this oil dispenser which has a silicone basting brush as it acts as a 2-in-1 kitchen item.
- Heat the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove the mozzarella sticks from the freezer and place a few in the basket – spaced apart. Ensure there is space between the sourdough breadcrumbs mozzarella sticks to easily turn them.
- Allow to bake for 7-8 minutes before turning. Cook for a total of 10-12 minutes. The exterior may turn golden brown. Some cheese may leak out of the corner, this is normal.
- Remove from air fryer and enjoy in your favorite dipping sauce.
Baking mozzarella cheese sticks in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicone mat.
- Place the sourdough mozzarella sticks on the baking sheet with enough space in between to flip them while cooking.
- Cook for 10 – 12 minutes, flipping halfway. The mozzarella sticks may turn golden brown and will be done with cheese is gooey on inside when bent.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving with favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- It is easy to make homemade sourdough breadcrumbs. Place dried bread into a blender and add spices. Visit our website for a step by step tutorial and ingredient quantities.
- Make these ahead by following steps through second coating. Allow to freeze on sheet pan before placing in a ziplock bag. Cook from frozen when ready to enjoy.
- These last within the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
What is your favorite dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks? Ours is pizza sauce or plain marinara sauce as it is cooling against the warm cheese. Let us know in the comments below!
