There’s nothing better than a soft, buttery breadstick to go with a meal. These homemade breadsticks have a beautiful golden crust with a soft and fluffy center that will make you reach for a second serving. These restaurant-quality breadsticks come together shockingly easily with simple everyday ingredients. It’s the perfect recipe for both beginners and experienced bakers alike.
You will fall in love with how flavorful these breadsticks are, especially with the parmesan butter topping. They also pair so well with everything! These breadsticks are a delicious addition to a big bowl of pasta like my stuffed shells recipe or a cozy bowl of soup like my tomato soup recipe. You can even enjoy them as a snack dipped in some marinara sauce. Want another easy bread recipe? Try my dinner rolls, garlic bread recipe, or focaccia recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Yeast — always double-check the expiry date of your yeast. If it is past its best-before date, it’s best to pick up a new packet of yeast at the store.
Sugar — adding granulated sugar to the yeast will help activate the yeast. It also tenderizes the dough, improves flavor, gives the crust a golden color, and helps retain moisture.
Flour — to keep this fluffy breadstick recipe easy, use all-purpose flour.
Salt — while a teaspoon of salt may not seem like a lot, it helps keep the bread from tasting bland.
Oil — or melted butter adds extra flavor and makes the dough nice and smooth.
Parmesan cheese — grated parmesan cheese is ideal as it’ll stick better to the breadsticks when they come out of the oven. I love the cheesy, savory flavor of the parmesan sprinkled over the bread.
How to Make Breadsticks
1. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, whisk together 1 cup of warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. To the yeast mixture, add 2 cups flour and oil or butter. Beat on low speed until combined. Slowly add the remaining ½ cup flour along with the salt. Increase the speed to medium and knead until a smooth and elastic dough is formed.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
4. Punch down the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
5. Roll each piece into a 9-inch rope and place it on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Cover and let rise in a warm place until visibly puffed. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.
6. While the breadsticks are baking, in a small bowl, whisk together the butter, salt, and garlic powder.
7. Brush the butter mixture over the hot breadsticks immediately when they come out of the oven.
8. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- For a little extra garnish, swap the garlic powder in the topping for a fresh minced garlic clove and add a tablespoon of minced parsley.
- The time it takes for your dough to rise depends on the temperature of your kitchen. The ideal temperature for dough rising is 75 to 78F. If your kitchen is cold, you can place your breadsticks dough in an OFF oven with the light on. Lower temperatures will require more rising time.
- If you are using yeast from a container, be sure to store the additional yeast in an airtight container in the fridge, so it doesn’t go stale.
- Avoid adding too much flour to the dough by measuring your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the breadsticks is the most common mistake and will lead to dense bread. The best way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Make sure the water is between 110 to 120F as water that’s too hot will kill the yeast, and water not warm enough won’t activate the yeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prepare the dough ahead of time! After you roll each piece into a 9-inch rope and place them on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart, cover them well and place them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This will slow down the rising time and helps the flavor develop even more. When ready to bake, bring them to room temperature and bake as directed. If they haven’t risen, give them some time to rise before baking.
These breadsticks are best served when warm right out of the oven. However, they will keep for 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat them, place them on a baking sheet, and reheat them in the oven at 400°F for 4 to 5 minutes or until they have warmed through. You can also brush them again with butter and sprinkle them with parmesan before serving.
Once they’ve cooled to room temperature, wrap the breadsticks in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer. You can store them in freezer-safe bags for an extra layer of protection against freezer burn. They’re freezer-friendly for a month.
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If you’ve tried this Breadsticks recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Breadsticks
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Pastry or basting brush
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup warm water (105°F -110°F) (240ml)
- 1 (0.25-oz.) packet active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons/7g)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (25 g)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour divided (180g)
- 3 tablespoons oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Topping:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
Instructions
For the Dough:
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, whisk together 1 cup warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- To the yeast mixture, add 2 cups flour, and oil or butter. Beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Slowly add the remaining ½ cup flour along with the salt. Increase the speed to medium and knead until a smooth and elastic dough is formed, about 6 minutes. (The dough will be slightly tacky but shouldn’t stick to a clean finger when tapped.)
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Punch down the risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 9-inch rope and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Cover and let rise in a warm place until visibly puffed, about 30 minutes.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.
For the Topping:
- While the breadsticks are baking, in a small bowl, whisk together the butter, salt, and garlic powder.
- Brush the butter mixture over hot breadsticks immediately when they come out of the oven. Sprinkle with parmesan. Best if served warmed. Breadsticks can also be cooled and frozen in a freezer container for up to 1 month.
Notes
- For a little extra garnish, swap the garlic powder in the topping for a fresh minced garlic clove and add a tablespoon of minced parsley.
- The time it takes for your dough to rise depends on the temperature of your kitchen. The ideal temperature for dough rising is 75 to 78F. If your kitchen is cold, you can place your breadstick dough in an OFF oven with the light on. Lower temperatures will require more rising time.
- If you are using yeast from a container, be sure to store the additional yeast in an airtight container in the fridge, so it doesn’t go stale.
- Avoid adding too much flour to the dough by measuring your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the breadsticks is the most common mistake and will lead to dense bread. The best way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Make sure the water is between 110 to 120F as water that’s too hot will kill the yeast, and water not warm enough won’t activate the yeast.
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