Something about making Homemade Breadsticks is so rewarding, and they're so simple, soft, and fluffy. We've got a variety of seasoning toppings you can use.
If you love bread recipes, make sure to try the Best Homemade Rolls, Garlic Knots, Buttermilk Cornbread, Cinnamon Roll Biscuits.
Amaze breadsticks we serve with everything.
Amaze breadsticks we serve with everything.Now, there's just no reason to be intimidated by making any type of bread (if you have a good recipe) and our homemade breadsticks are no exception. I'm telling you, they're EASY, plus they're cost effective, have the perfect soft texture, and go with every dish! To make it really worth your time, make a big batch of these and freeze the shaped dough or baked breadsticks for another day.
How to make Breadsticks:
Make the Dough: Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir. Let it rest for 5 minutes until it starts to foam on top. (If using Instant yeast, skip this step and add all of the ingredients to the bowl.)
Knead: Add in 1 ½ cups flour, oil, and salt and mix until combined, on medium speed. Add another 1 ½ cups flour or so, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl but still slightly sticky when touched. Add additional flour if needed. Knead in stand mixer for several minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic
Rise and Shape: Cover bowl tightly with a dish towel and allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours. Punch the dough down, then divide into 12 equal sections. Roll each dough ball into a 9 inch rope. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet, cover with a dish towel and rise again for 1 hour.
Bake at 425ºF for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven, brush tops with butter, and place on wire cooling rack. Serve this soft breadsticks recipe with your favorite main dish or soup.
Storage and Freezing Instructions:
Store leftover breadsticks in an airtight container on the counter for a day or two, or freeze them.
To Freeze Breadstick Dough: Follow the instructions for the dough, allowing it to complete the first rise, then shape into breadsticks and place on a baking sheet. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray then wrap it lightly over dough. Place pan in freezer and “flash freeze” for 1 hour. Transfer breadsticks to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake it, place frozen breadstick dough on a greased cookie sheet, cover with a dry towel and allow breadsticks rise for several hours, until room temperature and risen bigger.
To Freeze Baked Breadsticks: Allow breadsticks to cool completely then transfer to a freezer safe bag and freeze for 2 months.
Breadstick Flavors Variations:
- Garlic Butter Topping (Olive Garden style): Mix together ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 4 Tablespoons salted butter and spread over warm breadsticks.
- Cheesy Breadsticks: Form breadsticks on baking sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle ½ cup finely shredded cheese on top (we do ¼ cup parmesan and ¼ cup mozzarella). Cover, rise, and bake as directed.
- Little Caesars Crazy Bread: Brush warm-from-the-oven breadsticks with garlic butter topping (above) and sprinkle with powdered parmesan cheese.
- Cinnamon Sugar Breadsticks: Form breadsticks on baking sheet, brush with 2 Tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (¼ cup granulated sugar + 1 ½ tsp cinnamon). Cover, rise, and bake as directed.
Serve With:
- Homemade Lasagna
- Boursin Pasta
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Taco Soup
- Chicken Parmesan
- Creamy Zuppa Toscana
- Quinoa Salad
- Pink Sauce Pasta
- Spaghetti
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
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Recipe
Easy Homemade Breadsticks
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups warm water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 – 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 Tablespoons oil or melted butter
- butter , for brushing on rolls
Instructions
- Proof Yeast: Add warm water, yeast and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and stir gently. Rest for 5 minutes. The yeast should lightly foam on top. If it doesn't, the yeast may not be fresh. (If using Instant Yeast, skip this step and add the yeast, water and sugar with the rest of the ingredients).
- Add 1 ½ cups flour, salt and vegetable oil then mix on medium speed to combine.
- Knead: Add another 1 ½ cups flour. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still be very slightly sticky to the touch. Add remaining ¼ cup of flour, only if needed. Knead mixture for 5-7 minutes.
- First Rise: Transfer dough to a large, greased bowl and cover with a dish towel. Allow to rest and rise until double in size, about 1.5 hours.
- Shape Breadsticks: Once risen, punch dough down and divide into 12 equal parts. Roll each piece of dough into a 9-inch rope and transfer to a greased cookie sheet.
- Second Rise: Cover with a dish towel and rise again for 1 hour.
- Bake breadsticks at 425 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven, brush tops with butter, and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Enjoy!
- Store leftover breadsticks in an airtight container on the counter for a day or two, or freeze them.
Notes
- Garlic Butter Topping (Olive Garden style): Mix together ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 4 Tablespoons salted butter and spread over warm breadsticks.
- Cheesy Breadsticks: Form breadsticks on baking sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle ½ cup finely shredded cheese on top (we do ¼ cup parmesan and ¼ cup mozzarella). Cover, rise, and bake as directed.
- Little Caesars Crazy Bread: Brush warm-from-the-oven breadsticks with garlic butter topping (above) and sprinkle with powdered parmesan cheese.
- Cinnamon Sugar Breadsticks: Form breadsticks on baking sheet, brush with 2 Tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (¼ cup granulated sugar + 1 ½ tsp cinnamon). Cover, rise, and bake as directed.
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this post September 2014. Updated April 2020 and August 2024.
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Thanks for your long tips, it is very nice of you to share like this, I love to make bread very much
Thank you for sharing !
These are amazing!!!!!! They are light and fluffy. I’m making them again tonight. This time I’m making rolls. I’m not so sure it’s a good thing I found your recipe. Lol I’m in love with it. I’ve made a lot of bread etc. this is just so good. Thanks for sharing. Also it’s an easy recipe to follow.
I’m sorry I forgot to put bread sticks ?
Can you freeze the bread sticks after baking them? These sound so yummy. I’m making them now to go with our spaghetti.
Hi Sara, you can definitely freeze the baked leftovers! Just stick them in a gallon size freezer ziplock and they keep great. Super nice to have them on hand whenever you need a quick side!
This is probably a crazy question but would I use the dough hook or paddle attachment to make these.
Thanks
Yes, I’d use a dough hook! 🙂
I am love with this recipe! I make the dough in my bread machine and usually make 2 or 3 batches in a row. After they rise on the pan I freeze them on the pan then put them in freezer bags. (I love opening my freezer to a big baggie full of breadsticks makes my mouth water!) On busy nights I take a few out they thaw SO quick and on busy nights they go great with any meal!! The whole family begs for these! Thank you! Pinned!
Thanks Shanti! I love your method for freezing them! It’s so nice to have some on hand when you need them, right?!
I was wondering after you take the bread out of the freezer, do you cook them right away… similar to the uncook baguettes you buy at costco? Thanks!
Can I substitute with bread flour?
These are phenomenal! I’m making them again tonight to go with lasagna. The only thing I add us a sprinkle of italian seasoning to the topping mix 🙂 Delicious
Thanks for coming back to comment 🙂 Glad you liked them!
Can u make these without a mixer?
Of course! Just knead them with your hands on a clean counter 🙂 A little more work but they should turn out great!
Just made them and half the flour I substituted with whole wheat flour turned out amazing 🙂 thank you for this amazing recipe…
Sounds like a great substitution! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Yeah, so this was a complete failure for me. I followed the directions to a T and nothing. Didn’t raise at all and it was new yeast and the water was not too hot. I have no idea.
I’m wondering about this recipe – in the ingredients list it said 2 Tbsp sugar and then in directions, it says tsp.
Hi Kayleigh, 1 teaspoon of sugar goes in with the water and yeast in step 1. The rest of the sugar gets used in step 2
Same for me. Could that be 1 1/4 Tbsp yeast instead of tsp?
1 1/4 teaspoons is the correct amount.
The weather is also a big factor in whether or not any kind of yeast will rise if it’s been raining or too humid normally it will not rise at all I’ve been making bread and rolls and breadsticks for years and this is one of the biggest tips I got for my grandmother I can make a batch of breadsticks one day and they will be perfect but if I attempt to make them when it’s too humid or rainy they won’t do anything even if it’s the same recipe
was your yeast, water, sugar mixture foamy? if it wasn’t then that’s the issue