Salt Sticks are long, thin chewy bread sticks sprinkled with coarse salt and sometimes with caraway seed as well.
The bread dough is allowed to rise, then punched down and formed into thin logs. It is then brushed with egg wash, sprinkled with coarse or flaky sea salt and caraway seeds (optional), then baked. It ends up with a glossy surface from the egg wash. Commercially, the dough is extruded by machine through holes to make log shapes, dipped in brine, then sprinkled with salt and baked.
Salt sticks are made by Germans, European Jews, Swiss, Austrians and Hungarians.
They are also made in Greece, where they are called “bastounakia”, though in addition to salt and / or caraway, they may also use ground pepper.
Salt Sticks can be cut in half and cheese put between the slices to make “salt stick sandwiches.”