Soft Breadsticks

Copycat Olive Garden BreadsticksWho doesn’t like warm, soft breadsticks?  These are like the Olive Garden’s version, only much better.  They require a little planning because it takes approximately 2 hours to make them, but they’re worth it.

If you’ve got the time, give them a try.  They’ll make any meal BETTER!
Homemade copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks

Soft Breadsticks
Yields 16
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Prep Time
1 hr 20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
1 hr 20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Dough Ingredients
  1. 1 ½ cups warm water
  2. 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  3. 2 tablespoons sugar
  4. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  5. 4 cups flour (a little more if necessary)
  6. 2 teaspoons salt
Topping Ingredients
  1. 4 tablespoons butter
  2. 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  3. ½ teaspoon salt
Dough Directions
  1. Grease a large baking sheet, and set aside.
  2. Heat water in microwave for 30-45 seconds, just until slightly warm to the touch.
  3. In a small mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
  4. Combine flour, salt, melted butter, and yeast mixture, and knead for several minutes to form a soft dough.
  5. Shape into a ball, place on a greased surface, cover with a clean cloth, and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Divide the ball into fourths, and shape into balls. Divide each ball into fourths, again, and form into smaller balls. You’ll have 16 golf-ball sized dough balls. Cover with the cloth, and working with one little ball at a time, roll the dough into long strips to form the bread sticks. (I roll mine until they’re about 12 inches).
  6. Carefully lay the breadsticks side by side on the greased pan, making sure that they don’t touch. Cover the pan, and allow to rise in a warm place for about one hour.
  7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Topping Directions
  1. Melt butter and whisk with garlic powder and salt.
  2. Bake breadsticks for 10 minutes, then remove from oven, and gently brush tops with garlic butter. Quickly return to oven and bake another 5-10 minutes until they reach the desired shade of golden-brown. Watch carefully. Remove from oven, and immediately brush with remaining butter mixture.
  3. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then serve while warm.
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Grease a large baking sheet, and set aside.

Grease a large baking sheet, and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Set aside to cool.

Melt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Set aside to cool.

Heat 1 ½ cups water until slightly warm to the touch (I do it in the microwave on high for 30 seconds)

Heat
1 ½ cups water
until slightly warm to the touch
(I do it in the microwave on high for 30 seconds)

In a small mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 1 ½ cups warm water 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 2 tablespoons sugar

In a small mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together
1 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar

Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.

Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.

Combine 4 cups flour 2 teaspoons salt

Combine
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt

Now, combine flour, salt, melted butter, and yeast mixture, and knead for several minutes to form a soft dough. It its too sticky, add a little more flour, but avoid it, if possible.

Now, combine flour, salt, melted butter, and yeast mixture, and knead for several minutes to form a soft dough.
It its too sticky, add a little more flour, but avoid it, if possible.

Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks

Shape into a ball, place on a greased surface, …

... , cover with a clean cloth, and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

… , cover with a clean cloth, and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

How to make Olive Garden Breadsticks

1. Divide the ball into fourths.
2. Shape the fourths into balls.
3. Divide each smaller ball into fourths.
4. Form those into even smaller balls.
When you finish, you’ll have 16 golf-ball sized dough balls. Cover with the cloth.

Working with one little ball at a time, roll the dough into long strips to form the bread sticks. (I roll mine until they’re about 12 inches long)

Working with one little ball at a time, roll the dough into long strips to form the bread sticks.
(I roll mine until they’re about 12 inches long, but don’t worry, the dough retracts, so they end up between 7-9 inches)

Carefully lay the breadsticks on the greased pan.

Carefully lay the breadsticks on the greased pan.

Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks

When you finish, they should be lined up, side by side, but not touching.

Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks recipe

Cover the pan, and allow to rise in a warm place for about one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and prepare the topping.

Copycat Olive Garden Bread sticks recipe

Bake breadsticks for 10 minutes, and …

... while they're in the oven, whisk together 4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon salt

… while they’re in the oven,
whisk together
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt

Set it aside until the breadsticks have baked for 10 minutes.

Set it aside until the breadsticks have baked for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, gently brush tops with garlic butter, and quickly return to oven. Bake another 5-10 minutes until they reach the desired shade of golden-brown. Watch carefully.

Remove from oven, gently brush tops with garlic butter, and quickly return to oven. Bake another 5-10 minutes until they reach the desired shade of golden-brown. Watch carefully.

Homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks

Remove from oven, and immediately brush with remaining butter mixture.

Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks

Cool in pan for 3-5 minutes, then …

Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks Recipe

… transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks

Serve them while they’re warm.

Homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks recipe

Yum, …

Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks Recipe

…YUM!