Soft Garlic Breadsticks (Printable Version)
Soft, golden breadsticks topped with garlic butter and herbs for the perfect Italian appetizer.
# What You’ll 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
# Directions:
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 frothy and foamy on the surface.
02 - Add the all-purpose flour, salt, and softened butter to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough begins to come 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 with a dough hook for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and springs back when 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 the dough has doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
05 - Preheat your 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 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 drape a clean kitchen towel over the shaped breadsticks 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, finely minced garlic, salt, and chopped parsley in a small bowl until well combined.
10 - As soon as the breadsticks come out of the oven, generously brush the tops and sides with the garlic butter mixture using a pastry brush. Allow them to cool briefly on the pan, then serve warm.
# Top Tips:
01 -
- The dough comes together with ingredients you probably already have, and the kneading is oddly therapeutic after a long day.
- That moment when you brush warm garlic butter over golden breadsticks and watch it soak in is pure kitchen magic.
02 -
- If your kitchen is cold, dough rising time can double, so patience matters more than the clock on this one.
- Brushing the garlic butter on while the breadsticks are piping hot is the only way to get that soaked in flavor, because once they cool the butter just sits on top.
03 -
- Weigh your flour with a kitchen scale if you have one, 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 rest on top of the preheating oven so the ambient warmth speeds up the second rise without any extra effort.