Soft Breadsticks

Soft Breadsticks is a quick and easy recipe to serve with just about any Italian dish. I love making them and my family loves to eat them!
(Post modified with new photos on 4/12/23.)
The recipe makes 20 breadsticks, so there are plenty for a large gathering. Or you can freeze the leftovers for use later. They are wonderful with Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs or Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup.
Normally, when you work with a yeast bread, you have a long rising time. But not this recipe. After kneading, the dough rests for 10 minutes, and then it’s time to make your breadsticks. Once you have them formed on two baking sheets, you let them rise for 30-40 minutes until they are nice and puffy. Bake and then slather with the buttery garlic mixture. So yummy!
More Bread to Enjoy
Ingredients for Soft Breadsticks
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- warm water
- butter (I use salted, unless otherwise indicated)
- granulated sugar
- instant yeast
- salt
- all-purpose flour
Topping
- melted butter
- garlic salt
- dried rosemary, crushed
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, butter, granulated sugar, instant yeast, salt, and 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Mix well to combine. Add enough remaining flour until mixture sticks together and forms a ball.Knead with dough hook, or by hand on floured surface until smooth and soft, 5-6 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 20 pieces and roll each into a 7-8″ stick.
Place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Cover and allow to rise for 30-40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Prepare the Garlic Butter
While the breadsticks are baking, prepare the garlic butter. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the dried rosemary.
If you want to use fresh rosemary, go ahead. Or use dried. Either way, crush it with a mortar and pestle to release it’s oils and flavors. Then stir in the butter and garlic salt. And crush the ingredients some more. I love any chance to use my mortar and pestle. I encourage you to find ways to use one, too!

In a small bowl or in your mortar, combine the melted butter, garlic salt, and crushed dried rosemary. Brush over hot breadsticks.
Serve warm. Makes 20 breadsticks.
Converting This Recipe to Include Sourdough
Sometimes I will convert this recipe to include an active or “fed” sourdough starter. To do this, I will add 1 cup of fed sourdough starter and decrease the yeast to 1 teaspoon and decrease the flour to 4 cups. Otherwise, everything else stays the same.
The next time you make an Italian Dinner, be sure to bake some of these breadsticks. I just know you will love them as much as we do!
See more Yeast Bread Recipes Here. Browse all Bread Recipes Here.
Soft Breadsticks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons butter salted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Garlic Butter Topping
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary crushed
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine water, butter, granulated sugar, instant yeast, salt, and 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Mix well to combine. Add enough remaining flour until mixture sticks together and forms a ball.
- Knead by hand on floured surface until smooth and soft, 5-6 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Divide dough into 20 pieces and roll each into a 7-8" log. Place on baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Cover and allow to rise for 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.
Prepare the Garlic Butter
- While the breadsticks are baking, prepare the garlic butter. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the rosemary. In small bowl or in the mortar bowl, combine melted butter, garlic salt, and rosemary. Crush some more.
- Brush over hot breadsticks. Serve warm. Makes 20 breadsticks and serves 10-12 people.
Notes
Nutrition