Description
Homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks are soft, buttery, and garlicky delights perfect for serving alongside your favorite Italian dishes. This recipe guides you through making fluffy breadsticks from scratch with a simple yeast dough, topped with garlic salt and parsley for an irresistible flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
For the Topping
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt with parsley flakes
Instructions
- Activate yeast: In a large bowl, combine warm water, active dry yeast, and sugar. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is activated.
- Mix dough ingredients: Add salt, vegetable oil, and 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Stir until combined to form a wet dough base.
- Add remaining flour: Gradually add the remaining ½ cup of flour, ¼ cup at a time, stirring after each addition until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is soft but slightly sticky.
- Knead dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking and to develop a smooth, elastic dough.
- First rise: Place the kneaded dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
- Divide dough: After the first rise, punch down the dough gently to release air. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions for breadsticks.
- Shape breadsticks: Roll each portion into a 9-inch rope and place them spaced apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Second rise: Cover the shaped breadsticks with a towel and let them rise again for 20-30 minutes to become puffy.
- Preheat oven: While the breadsticks are rising, preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Bake breadsticks: Bake the risen breadsticks on the middle rack of the oven for 12-15 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
- Apply topping: Remove breadsticks from the oven and immediately brush them with melted butter and sprinkle garlic salt with parsley flakes evenly on top for that classic Olive Garden flavor.
- Serve warm: Let the breadsticks cool slightly before serving warm as a perfect companion to pasta or soups.
Notes
- Use warm water (around 110°F or 43°C) to activate the yeast properly without killing it.
- Ensure not to add too much flour while kneading; the dough should be a bit sticky but manageable.
- You can prepare the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it after the first rise to bake fresh breadsticks later.
- For extra garlic flavor, add a bit of garlic powder to the melted butter before brushing the breadsticks.
- The breadsticks are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheated before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
