Soft Garlic Breadsticks (Printable Version)
Soft, golden breadsticks topped with garlic butter and herbs
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup warm water (about 110°F/43°C)
03 - 1½ teaspoons instant yeast
04 - 1 teaspoon sugar
05 - ¾ teaspoon salt
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
→ Garlic Butter
07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
08 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
10 - ½ teaspoon salt
# How to Make It:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water (about 110°F), sugar, and instant yeast. Let the mixture rest for approximately 5 minutes until it becomes frothy and bubbly, indicating the yeast is active.
02 - Add the all-purpose flour, salt, and softened butter to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough comes together, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
03 - Knead the dough by hand for 7 to 8 minutes, or use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and springs back when gently pressed.
04 - Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
05 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
06 - Gently punch down the risen dough to release air bubbles. Divide into 12 equal portions. Roll each piece into a rope approximately 7 to 8 inches long and arrange on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
07 - Loosely cover the shaped breadsticks with a kitchen towel and let them rest in a warm area for 20 to 30 minutes until puffed and nearly doubled.
08 - Bake on the center rack for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the breadsticks are lightly golden on top and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
09 - While the breadsticks bake, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, salt, and chopped parsley in a small bowl until well combined.
10 - Immediately upon removing the breadsticks from the oven, generously brush each one with the garlic butter mixture, ensuring even coverage. Transfer to a serving basket or platter and serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dough comes together with pantry staples and zero fancy techniques, making this one of the easiest from scratch bread recipes you will ever try.
- That golden brush of garlic butter right out of the oven turns a simple breadstick into something people genuinely fight over.
02 -
- Water temperature is the most common reason this recipe fails, so test it with your wrist like you would a baby bottle, warm but not hot.
- The garlic butter must go on while the breadsticks are still hot from the oven or it will sit on the surface instead of soaking in properly.
03 -
- Weigh your flour with a kitchen scale if possible, because scooping with a measuring cup can pack in up to twenty percent more flour and leave you with dense, dry breadsticks.
- Let the shaped breadsticks rise on the baking sheet they will bake on so you never have to move them and risk deflating all that beautiful puffiness.