Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Buttery and garlicky – AKA, delicious!
Texture: These breadsticks have a bit of a golden crust but are soft and fluffy inside yet chewy throughout.
Ease: Really easy! Homemade breadsticks may sound intimidating but there’s only a handful of ingredients and I’ve included step-by-step photos so you know exactly how to make them.
Pros: Have Olive Garden breadsticks at home whenever you want!
Cons: These are dangerously addictive.
Would I make this again? I make these all the time!
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These Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks are savory heaven.
Let’s be honest. The breadsticks are probably the most crave-worthy item on the menu at Olive Garden.
This homemade breadsticks recipe is 1000x better. The whole family will go crazy for this copycat recipe at Sunday night dinner. Especially when paired with a rich soup or sauce for dipping!
The dough recipe only has six ingredients! Get your ingredients and your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook ready to go. You can also make this dough by hand, just be prepared to knead for about 20 minutes.
As soon as the breadsticks come out of the oven, brush with the garlic butter. Serve warm. Be careful, this Olive Garden Breadstick recipe is ADDICTIVE!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
Tips for Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks:
- Water: 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.
- 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 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. I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon-and-level method.
Are Olive Garden Breadsticks Vegan?
These Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks are not vegan, and I have not tried using plant-based butter in this recipe. 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!
Do I Have to Use Bread Flour? Can I Use All-Purpose Flour Instead?
Bread flour has a higher level of protein content than all-purpose flour, which helps create taller, well-rounded breadsticks with a nice chewy, fluffy texture. If you don’t have bread flour, use the same amount of all-purpose flour, but keep in mind that your dough will need to be kneaded longer, to properly develop the gluten, and your breadsticks may turn out super soft.
Which Yeast Should I Use for Breadsticks?
- This recipe utilizes a shortcut ingredient: instant yeast, also called rapid rise or quick rise yeast.
- One of the three should be available at most grocery stores, or you can buy my all-time favorite yeast on Amazon here.
- These types of yeast are specifically formulated to allow you to skip proofing (aka the step where you combine the yeast with warm liquid for 5 minutes). You can add instant yeast directly into the mix with all of the ingredients.
Help! I Only Have Active Dry Yeast!
If you don’t have or can’t find instant yeast, you can easily use active dry yeast instead. Add it right in with the dry ingredients like instant yeast, but just note that the dough will take about 20% longer to rise. Alternatively, you can speed up that rise time slightly; simply combine it with the warm water and a pinch of the sugar called for in the recipe, and allow it to proof until it becomes bubbly (about 5 minutes) before adding into the bowl with the other ingredients. Learn more about the different types of yeast, and how to substitute yeasts, here.
Can I Knead the Dough By Hand?
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.
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 so I can see how much it’s rising.
- I like to take a picture of the dough before rising, so I can compare 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 Copycat Olive Garden 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 or knife 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 a 8-inch log. Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly shaped.
How to Make Breadsticks Ahead of Time
Basically all yeast doughs can be made ahead of time and baked off later. Refrigerating stunts the rise time and can actually allow more flavor to develop!
For this recipe, I like to allow the dough to rise once and shape the breadsticks. Once the breadsticks are shaped, cover them well (so they don’t dry out) and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature as the oven preheats before baking as the recipe directs. If the breadsticks haven’t doubled in size yet, allow them to sit at room temperature until doubled.
Alternatively, to make ahead further in advance, you can freeze the dough after it has risen for the first time and been shaped into logs. Place the shaped breadsticks on a baking tray lined with parchment, freezing just until solid, and then transfer to a ziptop bag or airtight container to store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Once ready to bake, place the frozen breadsticks on parchment-lined baking trays and allow to thaw to room temperature. Let rise until an indentation made with your finger into the dough remains. Proceed with the recipe as written.
Can I Double This Recipe?
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 be overwhelmed with that amount of dough and fry itself – so I recommend simply making a single batch of dough twice.
How Long will These Breadsticks Keep?
Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks are best served right out of the oven, but they will keep for 3 days in an airtight container. 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 with garlic powder and salt at this point, if you wish.
How to Freeze Breadsticks
Place the baked, cooled breadsticks in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours, then 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 with garlic powder and salt at this point, if you wish, before serving.
What to Serve with Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks:
- A side salad
- Marinara sauce
- Creamy soup, like my Pot Pie Soup
- Your favorite pasta dish, like my Ultimate Macaroni & Cheese
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Homemade Bavarian Pretzels
- Copycat Hawaiian Rolls
- Homemade Pizza Dough
- Copycat Red Lobster Cheesy Garlic Biscuits
- Homemade Burger Buns
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Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
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 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.
Recipe Notes
This post was originally published in 2013 and updated in 2023 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
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!
I’m making these tonight! Can’t wait.
Hi Jayme! Woohoo! They are so good! Let us know how it goes 🙂
They tasted great but the texture wasn’t like Olive Garden bread sticks. Delicious, even though the bread turned out too airy and not as chewy as Olive Garden’s. I tried 2 batches, one following the recipe and one without the second rise of the dough. Same result each time (and the sticks were the same size the second time because they rose as they baked), which makes me wonder if adding butter to the dough causes the too-soft bread?
Still, a nice bread for sandwiches and for dipping. Just not Olive Garden-esque.
These turned out great! Light and fluffy! I think they were way better than olive garden. I kneaded by hand, only for about 2-3 min.
Thank you for this amazing recipe. My extremely picky kiddo loved this!!
I’
m going to try this next week when my son and his family come to visit. I will be making my spaghetti and the bread sticks will be perfect.
Can’t wait to hear how your breadsticks turn out, Patsy!
Amazing. It’s Feb in New England so it took longer to rise but they came out great. We’re snowed in and out of bread so I made half of them into round buns and skipped the salt and garlic at the end. Very awesome. I may need to make more as the kids are chowing
I’m going to try these can I use all purpose flour and vegetable oil.?
Hi Sue! Tessa talks about the flour in the Tip Box, above the recipe, under the heading ‘Do I Have to Use Bread Flour? Can I Use All-Purpose Flour Instead?’. These breadsticks don’t contain oil, but if you’re skipping the butter and replacing that with oil, check out Tessa’s tip under the header ‘Are Olive Garden Breadsticks Vegan?’ for more on this. I hope this helps! Let us know what you think of these breadsticks once you give them a try 🙂
They were good, but idk what I did wrong. The breaksticks did not brown on the top only the bottom
Hi Lynn! So glad to hear that you enjoyed these breadsticks. Typically, breadsticks may not brown on top if you skip the sugar, your oven temp is off (learn more about that here), or you didn’t bake quite long enough. Your breadsticks likely browned on the bottom more quickly because of the type of baking pan you were using, but perhaps they needed a few extra minutes to brown all over. You can also add an egg wash to the breadsticks, if you wish, to encourage more browning. I hope something here helps, and I hope you’ll give these breadsticks another try! Happy baking 🙂
trust. you will be
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!
These turned out really good except I had a hard time rolling them out – they kept shrinking back and ended up with shorter fatter breadsticks but it still tasted good.
Hi Bethy! So glad to hear that you enjoyed these breadsticks! If you are experiencing issues with yeasted doughs snapping back while shaping, this is typically due to the dough being too tight and needing a little longer to proof. If this happens next time, try covering your dough with a kitchen towel and allowing it to sit for 10-15 minutes, and then try shaping them again. I hope this helps! Happy baking 🙂