Soft Garlic Breadsticks (Printable)
Soft, golden breadsticks topped with melted garlic butter and herbs. Ideal companion for pasta, soup, or salad.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup warm water (110°F)
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
# Steps:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and instant yeast. Stir gently and let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes until it becomes foamy and bubbly on the surface.
02 - Add the all-purpose flour, salt, and softened butter to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough begins to form, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
03 - Knead the dough by hand for 7 to 8 minutes, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and springs back when lightly pressed.
04 - Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
05 - Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
06 - Gently punch down the risen dough to release excess air. Divide it into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a rope about 7 to 8 inches long and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
07 - Loosely cover the shaped breadsticks with a kitchen towel and allow them to rest and puff up for 20 to 30 minutes in a warm area.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and the breadsticks sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
09 - While the breadsticks bake, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and salt in a small bowl until well combined.
10 - As soon as the breadsticks come out of the oven, generously brush each one with the garlic butter mixture using a pastry brush. Serve warm alongside marinara sauce, soups, or salads.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dough comes together with basic pantry staples and requires zero fancy equipment.
- That garlic butter brushed on while the breadsticks are still hot soak into every bite like magic.
02 -
- Water that feels hot to the touch is probably too hot for yeast and will kill it before the dough ever rises.
- Brushing the garlic butter on while the breadsticks are piping hot allows the butter to soak deep into the crumb rather than sitting on the surface.
03 -
- If your kitchen is cold, turn your oven on for one minute then shut it off and place the covered dough inside for a cozy rising spot.
- Use a pastry brush rather than a spoon for the garlic butter so every surface gets coated evenly and no pool forms at the bottom.