Breadsticks Recipe

breadsticks on a baking sheet fresh from the oven.

5 from 1 vote

Quick and Easy homemade Breadsticks, made completely from scratch with a simple and delicious garlic butter topping. This is a simple recipe of the popular Olive Garden Breadsticks, perfect for serving alongside soups or salads. They're soft and fluffy, totally delicious and addictive!

Prep Time25

Cook Time11

Resting Time2

Total Time2 36

Course: Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 234kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

Breadsticks

1½ cups warm water around 100°F.
2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (1 packet)
2 tablespoon sugar granulated
3½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon butter unsalted
2 teaspoon salt

Topping

½ cup butter melted
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Activate the yeast: In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the warm water with the active dry yeast and 2 tbsp of sugar. Stir and let it rest for about 10 minutes until the yeast start to foam up.
Make the dough: Add the flour and salt over the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook, mix everything for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and comes clean from the side of the bowl. If the dough is too wet add a bit more flour, a tbsp at a time, if too dry, add a bit more water.
First rise: Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm, draft free environment for about 1½ hours, until doubled in size.
Shape into breadsticks: Punch the risen dough to let the air out. Divide it into 12 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, keep the other pieces covered with a clean tea towel, roll each piece into a 9-inch rope, on a lightly floured surface. Transfer the breadsticks to two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, or one if the baking sheet is large enough.
Second rise: Cover the baking sheets with breadsticks with a clean tea towel and let rise for another hour or until doubled in size.
Prep the oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake: Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden.
Make the topping: In a small bowl whisk together the melted butter with the garlic powder and salt.
Finish the loaves: Immediately after removing the breadsticks from the oven, brush them with the melted butter mixture generously. Serve warm.

Notes

Garlic is not the only seasoning you can use. Get creative and add any favorite herbs to your melted butter, such as rosemary, thyme, basil or even a nice Italian Herb mix.
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, to ensure the development of proper structure in our dough.
Dough thrives in a warm, draft-free environment. If your oven has a “proof” function, then use it. The “proof” function preheats the oven to 100°F, causing a warm, but not hot environment for your dough to rise nicely. If your oven doesn’t have this “proof” function, I would still use the oven. What I usually do is preheat the oven to 200°F, or whatever the lowest setting is for it. Once it reaches that temperature, turn off the oven, then place the dough in there to rise. This will speed up the proofing process tremendously.
Storage: Properly stored in a plastic storage bag or wrapped in foil, these breadsticks will last for about 4 to 5 days at normal room temperature.
Freezing: Once they’ve cooled to room temperature, place the breadsticks on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 1-2 hours until solid. Transfer them to a large freezer bag or airtight container. They will last up to 6 months in the freezer.

Nutrition