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    Home » Homemade Breadsticks Recipe

    Homemade Breadsticks Recipe

    Published: Oct 14, 2022 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This homemade breadsticks recipe is the best – even better than Olive Garden breadsticks! They are soft and moist with a buttery garlic topping.

    a stack of 9 homemade breadsticks

    I have been making this homemade breadsticks recipe for over a decade now. It was born out of my husband's love for Olive Garden Breadsticks, and my unwillingness to dine at said location!

    So I created this recipe for homemade breadsticks and even my husband agrees that they are the best!

    They're soft, moist with a delicious buttery garlic topping. They're also fairly simple to make. Serve them alongside your favorite Italian dishes like homemade meatballs, pesto pasta, pasta primavera, tortellini soup, and so much more!

    a stack of breadsticks, one with a bite taken out of it

    Homemade Breadsticks Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Warm water. Make sure the water is around 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Honey. granulated sugar is a good substitute for honey.
    • Salted butter. unsalted butter works well in this recipe.
    • Olive Oil. technically avocado oil or canola oil would work in this recipe - but olive oil yields the most authentic flavor.
    • All-purpose flour. bread flour is a good substitute for all-purpose flour
    overhead view of the ingredients in this Homemade Breadsticks recipe

    How to Make Breadsticks

    This breadstick recipe has a few steps, but they're pretty straightforward and foolproof! Let's walk through how to make breadsticks step-by-step, and don't forget to watch the video.

    Make the garlic salt topping:

    Begin by making the garlic topping by combining the sea salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. Then set it aside to use later.

    Make the breadstick dough

    Next, make the breadstick dough my combining the water, honey and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let the mixture sit until foamy (5-10 minutes).

    Alternately you can mix the ingredients together by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.

    two photos showing How to Make Breadsticks - proofing the yeast

    Once the yeast has proofed, add the olive oil and melted butter and stir to combine.

    two photos showing How to Make Breadsticks - adding wet ingredients

    Then, add 2 cups of flour and sea salt to the wet mixture and stir with the dough hook until combined.

    two photos showing How to Make Breadsticks - adding flour and salt

    Next, add an additional 1 cup flour and stir until incorporated. If necessary, add up to ¼ cup additional flour until the dough is smooth and only slightly tacky.

    Knead until dough is smooth and soft with the dough hook - or by hand.

    two photos showing How to Make Breadsticks - adding more flour and the dough after kneading into a ball

    Then, transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).

    two photos showing How to Make Breadsticks - dough after rising in a glass mixing bowl

    Form the breadsticks

    Once the dough has doubled in size, line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

    Then, divide dough into 10 equal pieces (I suggest using a food scale and weighing the dough. For me, the entire batch weighed 804 g, divided by 10 each breadstick was 80.4g).

    Roll each portion of dough out into a 10” long cylinder and place them on 2 baking sheets (5 on each), evenly spaced.

    Loosely cover with a damp tea towel and let the breadsticks rise until puffed/doubled (about 30-60 minutes).

    two photos showing How to Make Breadsticks - formed breadsticks on a baking sheet before and after rising the second time

    Bake the breadsticks

    Once dough begins to rise, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

    Bake at 400 degrees for 11-13 min or until the breadsticks are lightly browned. (note: In the photos below, the breadsticks are a little darker than I usually like them)!

    Remove the breadsticks from the oven and immediately brush each one with butter, then sprinkle with garlic salt mixture.

    two photos showing How to Make Breadsticks - breadsticks before and after baking

    Serve

    Serve the homemade breadsticks warm with your favorite Italian dishes. Here are some of our suggestions:

    • This pesto pasta with homemade basil pesto.
    • Spaghetti and homemade meatballs
    • This pasta primavera is one of my all-time favorites!
    • Spinach tortellini or tortellini soup.
    overhead view of 6 breadsticks on a serving board with marinara sauce

    Store/Freeze

    Store leftover breadsticks in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    Reheat in the oven set to warm or in the microwave for 10 seconds.

    a breadstick being dipped into marinara sauce

    Recipe FAQS

    Are breadsticks supposed to be hard or soft?

    There are a few different varieties of breadsticks, these Olive Garden copycat breadsticks are supposed to be very soft.

    What are Olive Garden breadsticks made of?

    Olive garden breadsticks have many unnecessary ingredients like mono & diglycerides (a harmful emulsifier), soy (found in their garlic topping), margarine etc. That is why I chose to create this recipe for homemade breadsticks. If using organic ingredients you can ensure they are made from only flour, yeast, honey, real salted butter, pure olive oil, and fine sea salt.

    Can I double this recipe?

    Yes, if feeding a large crowd you can double this recipe to make 20 breadsticks.

    a stack of 9 homemade breadsticks

    If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don't forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube - be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can your creations!

    Best Homemade Breadsticks

    Homemade Breadsticks Recipe

    Laura
    This homemade breadsticks recipe is the best – even better than Olive Garden breadsticks! They are soft and moist with a buttery garlic topping.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 11 mins
    Rising 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 31 mins
    Course Appetizer, bread
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 10 breadsticks
    Calories 227 kcal

    Equipment

    • KitchenAid Mixer
    • measuring spoons
    • measuring cups
    • food scale
    • tape measure
    • baking sheet

    Ingredients
     
     

    Breadstick dough

    • 1 cup warm water
    • 2 tsp active dry yeast
    • 1 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar
    • 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 3 to 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

    Topping

    • 2 tablespoons salted butter
    • ½ tsp fine sea salt
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • optional, add 1 tsp Italian seasoning
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    Make the garlic salt topping:

    • Combine the sea salt and garlic powder in a small bowl, set aside.

    Make the breadstick dough

    • In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine water, honey and yeast and let sit until foamy (5-10 minutes). (Alternately you can mix the dough by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon).
    • Add olive oil and melted butter to the proofed yeast mixture.
    • Add 2 cups flour and sea salt to the wet mixture and stir until combined.
    • Add additional 1 cup flour and stir until incorporated. If necessary, add up to ¼ cup additional flour until the dough is smooth and only slightly tacky.
    • Knead until dough is smooth and soft.
    • Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).

    Form the breadsticks

    • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
    • Divide dough into 10 equal pieces (I suggest using a food scale and weighing the dough. For me, the entire batch weighed 804 g, divided by 10 each breadstick was 80.4g).
    • Roll each portion of dough out into a 10” long cylinder.
    • Put on 2 baking sheets (5 on each), evenly spaced.
    • Loosely cover with a damp tea towel and let the breadsticks rise until puffed/doubled (about 30-60 minutes).

    Bake the breadsticks

    • Once dough begins to rise, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
    • Bake at 400 degrees for 11-13 min or until the breadsticks are lightly browned.
    • Remove from oven and immediately brush each breadstick with butter, then sprinkle with garlic salt mixture.
    • Serve warm.

    Video

    Notes

    Ingredients and substitutions

    • Warm water. Make sure the water is around 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Honey. granulated sugar is a good substitute for honey.
    • Salted butter. unsalted butter works well in this recipe.
    • Olive Oil. technically avocado oil or canola oil would work in this recipe - but olive oil yields the most authentic flavor.
    • All-purpose flour. bread flour is a good substitute for all-purpose flour

    Store/Freeze

    Store leftover breadsticks in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
    Reheat in the oven set to warm or in the microwave for 10 seconds.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1breadstickCalories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 388mgPotassium: 71mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 140IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rita

      February 25, 2023 at 3:06 pm

      5 stars
      I made your bread stick it was so fully and soft it was a big hit with me

      Reply
      • Laura

        February 26, 2023 at 7:03 am

        Thank you Rita!

        Reply

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    I’m Laura, a former chemistry teacher turned homeschooling mom of six beautiful babies! I create simple and delicious recipes that are tested and perfected to make cooking and baking joyful and fun!

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