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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Buttery and garlicky, AKA, heaven!
Texture: A lightly golden crust hides the soft and fluffy interior, with the perfect amount of chew.
Ease: Homemade breadsticks may sound intimidating but there’s only a handful of ingredients. You can do this!
Why you’ll love this recipe: Better than the restaurant, and super impressive.
I cannot tell you how positively tantalizing these breadsticks smell while baking.
As someone who went to culinary school and has studied the science of homemade bread, I’m not afraid to admit there’s nothing very fancy about this recipe.
In fact, it only has 7 ingredients. No complicated resting or rising periods. It’s about as simple as it gets.
And yet, it transports me back to being a kid going to Olive Garden as a special treat, only to fill up entirely on breadsticks.
This homemade breadsticks recipe is about 1,000x better than the restaurant version. I promise, your whole family will go crazy for this copycat recipe at Sunday night dinner. Especially when paired with a rich soup or sauce for dipping!
These were sooo good, my kids said better than Olive Garden. As someone that thinks that restaurant is over rated and I can make better pasta at home, I’m so excited to have a recipe to top their breadsticks. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
You don’t need any fancy skills, equipment, or know-how to nail this recipe. You do need to be forewarned…
These breadsticks are positively irresistible!
Delicious!! I never review any recipes, but this one definitely deserves it. These were so simple to make, soft and chewy, and perfect for dipping in soup. Will be making these often!
Key Recipe Ingredients
Bread flour: Its higher protein content helps develop gluten, creating taller, well-rounded breadsticks with a chewy, fluffy texture.
- Swap: Use the same amount of all-purpose flour. Keep in mind that your kneading time will increase to properly develop the gluten, and your breadsticks may turn out more soft than chewy.
Instant yeast: Also called rapid-rise or quick-rise yeast, this can be added directly to the other ingredients without proofing separately.
- Swap: Substitute active dry yeast at a 1:1 ratio. Add it directly to the dry ingredients, but expect the dough to take about 20% longer to rise. To speed things up, you can instead dissolve the yeast in the warm water with a pinch of the recipe’s sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, until bubbly, before adding it to the other ingredients. Learn more about the different types of yeast and how to substitute them here.
Sugar: Adds a little sweetness, helps feed the yeast, and contributes to a softer texture. Do not omit or reduce.
Butter: Adds richness and tenderness to the dough.
Warm water: Helps hydrate the flour and activate the yeast. Be cautious your water isn’t too warm or you’ll kill the yeast (about 100–110°F).
Tessa’s Tips for Perfect Breadsticks
- Use the right water temperature. Be sure to use water that is not too hot. Hot water will kill the yeast and prevent the breadsticks from rising. 100-110°F is perfect.
- Don’t skip the sugar. There’s a little in these breadsticks to help activate the yeast, tenderize the breadsticks, and make them a little softer. Don’t skip the sugar! I promise you won’t find the breadsticks sweet. Learn more about sugar’s role in baking here.
- Measure the flour correctly. Be sure to measure your ingredients correctly. When measuring by volume (using cups), it can be super easy to accidentally over-measure ingredients, especially flour. To avoid dense or dry breadsticks, I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon-and-level method.
How to Tell When Dough Is Risen
- After kneading, shape the dough into a ball.
- Place in a lightly oiled mixing bowl. I like to use glass and take a picture so I can see how much it’s rising later.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, foil, or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free location. Ideal rise temperatures are between 80°F and 90°F. Lower temperatures will require more rising time.
- The dough is done rising when it’s about doubled in volume and passes the “ripe” test. Gently stick two fingers in the risen dough up to the second knuckle and then take them out. If the finger marks remain, the dough is ready for shaping. If not, cover and let the dough rise longer until it is.
How to Shape Breadsticks
- Once the dough is risen, press it down to deflate it slightly.
- Place the dough onto a clean surface (not a floured surface).
- Use a bench scraper to section the dough into 12 equal pieces. Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly equal in size – but if you prefer, you can weigh the entire mass of dough, divide that number by 12, then portion each piece perfectly by weight.
- Roll each piece of dough into an 8-inch log. Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly shaped.
Storage & Make ahead
Storage: These breadsticks are best served warm, right out of the oven, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To refresh them, place the breadsticks on a baking sheet and reheat in a 425°F oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or until warmed through. For extra flavor, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt before serving.
Freeze: You can freeze baked breadsticks for up to 2 months. Let them cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. On the day you’re ready to serve, thaw the breadsticks at room temperature for a couple of hours. Place them on a baking sheet and reheat in a 425°F oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or until warmed through. For a fresh-from-the-oven finish, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt before serving.
Make Ahead:
- Refrigerator option: Allow the dough to complete its first rise, then shape the breadsticks. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover well to prevent them from drying out, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, let the breadsticks sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. If they haven’t doubled in size yet, let them continue rising until they have. Bake as directed in the recipe.
- Freezer option: For longer storage, freeze the shaped dough after its first rise. Arrange the breadsticks on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, arrange the frozen breadsticks on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let them thaw at room temperature. Allow them to rise until doubled in size and a gentle indentation remains when you press the dough with your finger. Bake as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Be sure to knead the dough properly so the breadsticks hold their shape and don’t become sad flat sticks. I call for a stand mixer to make easy work of kneading in this recipe, but you can also knead by hand. Be prepared for a bit of a workout, as you’ll need to knead by hand for about 15 to 20 minutes. You can see my full tutorial on how to knead dough here.
These Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks are not vegan. However, several readers have had success with Country Crock plant-based sticks (avocado oil-based) or using olive oil in the dough and Earth Balance for the topping. If you give anything else a try, let me know how it goes in the comments!
Yes, if you have a large enough mixer (at least 6 quarts). Most home mixer bowls won’t mix such a big batch of dough well enough. If you’re using a 5-quart tilt-head mixer, your mixer may become overheated with that amount of dough. So I recommend simply making a single batch of dough twice.
A side salad
Marinara sauce
Creamy soup, like my Pot Pie Soup
Your favorite pasta dish
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Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (250 grams) warm water, about 100-110°F*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 3 cups (381 grams) bread flour, plus more as needed**
For the topping:
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the water, yeast, sugar, melted butter, and salt. Begin to gradually add the flour while the mixer runs on low speed. Increase speed to medium and knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes, or until it is tacky and very elastic. Add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough is extremely sticky.
- Remove the dough and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours (the exact proof time will depend on your kitchen environment; the warmer it is, the faster your dough will proof).
- Once doubled in size, divide the dough into 12 portions (use your kitchen scale for accuracy, but it should be approximately 57 grams per piece). Roll each piece of dough into an 8-inch log. Place the dough logs on your parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush with melted butter. Combine the salt and garlic powder and sprinkle evenly over breadsticks. Serve warm.
- To refresh, place the breadsticks on a baking sheet, and reheat in the oven at 425°F for 4-5 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also re-brush with butter and sprinkle again with garlic powder and salt, if you wish.
Notes
This post was originally published in 2013 and updated in 2023 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
Turned out extremely well. When you think of a breadstick that you would get at a expensive restaurant, this is what you would expect. I won’t ever be using a different recipe for breadsticks.
Amazing to hear this! Thanks so much for letting us know, Henry!
Alright I made this into 3 pizza crusts tonight! And this has been my BEST crust to date! I put the water, yeast, sugar, salt and butter into my bread machine. Stir and let sit while I sift and weigh the flour. Add flour, set to dough and in 1 hour and 20 minutes it’s ready to turn out and divide into your crusts (I did 3). I shaped my 3 balls and then let rise for another hour. Then I floured a piece of parchment paper (for each crust) and shaped the crust. Then topped and put it on my preheated pizza stone (460) for 12 minutes! Just in case anyone is looking to try it .. It seems I prefer the ease of the bread machine over doing it by hand! Thanks again for this amazing multifunctional recipe! Have a great night! And don’t forget… Under his eye!
Love hearing about all of your experiments, Jay! That sounds absolutely delicious!
i’ve made it like a million time and my family and i are obsessed with it.I’m twelve and i just love baking and cooking.I also wanted to ask if i could double the recipe to yield 24 bread sticks instead of 12??
So awesome to hear you’re making these breadsticks for your family! Absolutely, you can double this recipe 🙂 Enjoy!
I haven’t had Olive Garden in a long time, so I can’t compare, but these came out awesome and super soft. Be sure to not under-knead the dough. I put them relatively close on the pan, so they ended up being super soft pull-apart sticks. I suspect these will also make a good Texas Roadhouse style rolls if you shape them into squares and add a little more sugar. Next time I will do an overnight fridge rise for the first proofing since it builds more flavor.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Matt!
I wish you would of posted the correct measurements in cups not weight. I’m an experienced baker and never use a scale.
Hi there! As this is one of our older recipes on the site, it actually is listed in cups (did you mean to post on a different recipe?). We are slowly updating our recipes to include weight measurements though as it ensures accuracy for everyone.
Can you make dough ahead of time and bake later
Hi Lisa! Thanks for asking, I just added that to the Recipe Notes! Check out our free Make Ahead Baking Guide and follow the directions on yeast-based doughs 🙂
I did not believe these would taste EXACTLY like OG breadsticks but they DO!!!! And the recipe is so easy…the dough is perfect after the 7 mins in the mixer…not sticky…rolls easy. The only thing we did differently is to use regular salt because the kosher salt was a little too chunky for us. These things are amazing! I never post online but had to let you and your readers know these truly taste exactly like them and I have my OG dressing to dip them in too! Thanks so much!
Gotta have the OG dressing, yum! So glad you loved this recipe, Kim!
Well done with this recipe! I have made this 5 times in the last few weeks with the same consistent results each time. This is because I have weighed each time. Actually I am sifting the flour into my bowl on the scale (don’t ask, because I don’t know why). In any case this bread comes out amazing every time. I am doing home made hamburger buns, and pigs in blankets tonight with the dough. I’m sure it’s gonna be great!
We’ve done plenty of breadstick testing as well and aren’t made about it! So happy you love this recipe and are using it for other meal ideas!
Just an update on the pigs in a blanket. I will never buy another hotdog or hamburger bun again! Thank for such an amazing bread recipe! I’m just sorry I was so late to the party!
LOVE to hear that! Thank you so much for the positive feedback, we appreciate it!
Can you use salted butter instead of unsalted that’s all they had at the store across the street from me
We always suggest using unsalted butter vs. salted as written in this article: Salted Vs. Unsalted Butter. It’s not ideal to use salted butter, but it should turn out ok as long as you substitute correctly. To substitute, a general rule is to reduce 1/4 tsp of salt per 1/2 cup (115g) of butter. Hope that helps!
I’m baking it right now for the second time. But both times my dough is always so dry and crumbly looking. Is it because I used measuring cups and not a scale?
Using a digital scale for recipes is a game changer for sure! If your dough is turning out dry and crumbly, that does sound like you might be using too much flour. I’d suggest at least trying the Spoon & Level Method I discuss in my article How to Measure Flour if you can’t get a digital scale. Hope that helps!
My 5 year old made these with a little assistance. Her first bread recipe that she made almost by herself. I helped by demo how to do it. They were amazing.
I’m so excited to hear that! How fun 🙂
How can I make bread flour? Or how can I replace it? We only get all purpose flour here.
I’ve never made bread flour! The bread flour helps make these breadsticks nice and chewy, although you can use all-purpose flour instead. The texture will just be a little different. Enjoy your breadsticks!