I kind of think these easy homemade breadsticks have actual magical powers. Seriously. These bad boys have helped me make instantaneous friends at church functions when I’m the new girl and made sad people happy. My friend Natalie, who used to work as my secretary (when I was an apartment manager; I’m not cool enough to actually have a personal secretary), loved these breadsticks; I’m pretty sure she only put up with the mind-numbing inanity of the world of apartment managing because there was a reasonable guarantee that she would get breadsticks on a semi-regular basis.
I can’t take all the credit. Or any of it, really. This is my friend Lisa’s recipe. But I use it for everything–pocket sandwiches (like Hot Pockets, only not gross), breakfast pocket sandwiches, pizza crust, pizza on the grill, pizza pockets, whatever. One major advantage is that this dough is very, very forgiving. If you’re just getting started, we recommend, checking out these tips on how to work with yeast dough, but this is a great dough to start with if you’re a yeast dough virgin or if you’ve had bad experiences working with yeast in the past.
how to make them
To get started, you’ll need some yeast, sugar, and warm water. The water needs to be about 105-115 degrees F, which you can measure with a thermometer if you want, but I always say water hot enough that would feel like a hot shower but not so hot you wouldn’t want to wash your hair or your face in it. If it’s not warm enough, the yeast won’t activate and if it’s too hot, the yeast will die. The sugar feeds the yeast.
In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water,
sugar, and yeast.
Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.
Add salt
and stir. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour
and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl
and it barely sticks to your finger.
Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
before
after
While the dough is rising, line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Remove from bowl and place on a surface sprayed with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.
Roll out each piece of dough into a snake about 18″ long, then drape the middle of the “snake” over your forefinger
and twist the dough.
Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it’s okay if they’re close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life’s greatest pleasures!
Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes.
When there’s about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 12-15 minutes (it will depend on your oven) or until golden on top.
Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning
or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt (or you could sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. I did that once. It was awesome). If you’d like, you can serve with marinara for dipping.
They’re amazing hot, but I’m not gonna lie, they’re also pretty amazing at 11 pm when your kids are in bed and you’re pondering the meaning of life in the dark in the kitchen.
Breadsticks
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup warm 105-115 degrees water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Butter
- Garlic Bread Seasoning
Instructions
- In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.
- Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.
- Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. While the dough is rising, line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Remove from bowl and place on a surface sprayed with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.
- Roll out each piece of dough into a snake about 18" long, then drape the middle of the "snake" over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it’s okay if they’re close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life’s greatest pleasures!
- Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes.
- When there’s about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 12-15 minutes (it will depend on your oven) or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt.
Notes
Serving suggestions:
- Omit garlic bread seasoning and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar; dip in cream cheese frosting
- Serve alongside homemade pizza sauce for dipping
Questions & Reviews
I’ve been using this recipe for pizza dough for eight years and love it. My oldest refuses to eat school pizza because he’s been spoiled by my pizza.
What are your instructions for turning this into pizza instead? I’d love to know if you omit the second raise and how long you bake it for. Thank you!
Check out this post for the pizza info!
https://ourbestbites.com/cooking-class-pizza-101/
I have loved this recipe since you first posted it. I kept it on a sticky note inside my spice cabinet, and it survived two moves! A kitchen remodel did away with the spice cabinet and although, I have made it many times, I could not quite remember it. So glad it’s still on your site! Thank you! Putting it in the cookbook now.
Love this recipe, and I’ve made it several times. What would you recommend for freezing/refrigerating it for later?
Place it in an airtight container and freeze after the first rise, OR do the second rise in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe! It sounds so fun to make. Thank you for sharing!
I’m such a sucker for bread. Mix it with garlic salt and I’m sold! Love this recipe.
Do you have any recommendations for making a bigger batch & freezing these? (Should I put the garlic bread seasoning on before freezing? How long should I re-heat in the oven?) Or any other tips/tricks, please!
If you have room in your freezer to pop them in there right after you twist them, do that. Then put them on the baking sheet however you want to bake them, cover them, let them thaw and rise (not sure for how long). When they’ve doubled, pop them in the oven!
Just made these last night! I am glad you reposted though because yesterday when I searched for “breadsticks” they didn’t come up (I had to find the link via the grilled pizza post) but now they do!
Yeah, some of those old recipes got all lost in the shuffle over the years! That’s one of the reasons why we’ve been updating these old posts because over the years, the internet has changed so much that Google doesn’t recognize the old stuff anymore.
I’ve made this recipe about three times now, both as maple bars and mozzarella sticks. It is great. What I found, however, is that they need to be checked at about 7-8 min. with the oven at 425. Am trying pizza next. Definitely a keeper! Thank you.
very amazing and yummy
Great i love this very much.
This has become my go-to pizza dough recipe. I don’t change anything and have made it at least half a dozen times since stumbling upon your blog earlier this year. Thanks so much!!! I want to try making the breadsticks one day too!!
Looks like this post has been up for quite a while…and I’m SO Glad it is~!! I make Pizza Dough all the time as well as all kinds of breads and rolls…but this recipe is WONDERFUL….I made the bread sticks last night…and after that…Tonight is PIZZA NIGHT FOR SURE! I think this is going to replace my usual pizza dough recipe because if the pizza crust comes out half as good as I think it will….I’ll never go back~!!
Thank you so much for such an easy great recipe~
Yummy! Thanks for the recipe. In case you should see this, your garlic bread seasoning link needs updating.
Is the dough not Kneeded? I wasn’t sure if that was a forgotten step or if these are really this easy!!
Nope, they really are this easy! 🙂
Kate – Please HELP! I can not get any of the links for the garlic bread seasoning to work! I have almost gotten my pizza perfected but I would really like that recipe to make it even better. Thanks! I know this post is from forever ago but hopefully you will still see it.
Hi this an interesting article. You have described very well. Really descriptive post you have shared with us.
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made these over the passed few years. As bread sticks and sandwich buns, pepperoni rolls, dinner rolls , this recipe is the best! I sometimes add garlic powder to the basic dough recipe for extra flavor or herbed garlic salt in place of the regular salt. No mater what this is my families favorite recipe.
I found this post very exciting. I think you will have any other post on this topic? I am also sending it to my friend to enjoy your working style. Cheers!
I am so pleased I found this blog, I really got you by an accident, while I was searching for something else. The story and blog you have published is very interesting as well as informatics, Thanks for sharing such type of informatics thing.
I have made these so many times and everyone loves them! The problem is that I can’t ever get them to look as nice as the ones in your picture! Could you add a picture or two (or even better a short video!), even just in comment, of how you roll them? I want to get them to look prettier!
Or anyone who has mastered the picture! Thanks. 🙂
I forgot two words! and twist 🙂
I meant time means nothing when it comes to quality. Darn auto correct.
Best breadsticks by far. I don’t even order in from restaurants anymore. I prefer these any day. Time me and nothing when it quality. Thanks for the best recipe ever!
So excited to try this! How can I make it into a wheat recipe? Any suggestions?
Did you know you have Victoria Secret ads running across the bottom of your blog? I am all for monetizing your blog, but to have women in bikinis across a food blog is frustrating when trying to keep things clean for my family. Disapointed.
I am curious why this recipe does not call for oil or butter. Every other breadstick or pizza dough recipe I have looked at calls for some kind of fat.
Hi Kate, can I use bread machine yeast or rapid rise yeast for this recipe?
Yep, absolutely–that’s all I use. 🙂
Hi, i made this breadstick, and they come great in flavor, but i cant make the twist..sorry..is possible, that you put a pictures on how to roll into snake, amd drape over your finger, i live in mexico, and it was dificult to understand that instrucctions..
thanks
marina
Made these tonight and they were a huge hit!!! Will definitely be making these breadsticks again!
I was wondering if anyone has made these ahead and froze them. If so, how would the process change?