These Garlic Herb Breadsticks are a delicious way to spice up pasta dinners! Made with fresh herbs, honey, and a delightful homemade garlic butter topping, you’ll want to make these breadsticks for dinner weekly. Try dipping them in marinara sauce as an appetizer or side.
I love creating these garlic herb breadsticks when I want to elevate a meal (and make it feel like we ordered in from our local Italian spot!). These breadsticks made with pizza dough are the perfect combo of herby and buttery. Plus, it’s easy to adjust the flavor of the breadsticks according to your (and your family’s) preferences.
Here are a few more yummy bread recipes you can add to your weekly menu: Easy Rustic Bread, Garlic Bread in Air Fryer, and Texas Toast Garlic Bread.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Herby – Made with fresh herbs, these breadsticks pack a punch in the flavor department.
- Flavorful – Herbs and cheese help create uber-tasty breadsticks.
- Buttery – The herb butter drizzle makes these breadsticks decadent and comforting.
- Quick cook time – Though the breadsticks need a few hours to rise, they cook up quickly (about 10 minutes).
- Made with pizza dough – Using bread flour helps create a crispy, chewy breadstick every time.
- Family–friendly – Even the pickiest eaters will enjoy these garlic herb breadsticks.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Instant Yeast: The only yeast I use is the Red Star Platinum Superior Baking Yeast. It never fails to give my dough a good rise and works quickly. I highly recommend ordering it online if you can’t find it at your local grocery store. Active dry yeast will also work, though it will take about 20 minutes longer for your dough to rise. You can use it in a 1:1 ratio to replace instant yeast.
- Honey: If you don’t have honey, use granulated sugar. Granulated sugar is less sweet than honey, so you’ll want to use 2 teaspoons with this substitution.
- Herbs: You can use dried herbs for this garlic herb breadsticks recipe, but you’ll need to reduce the amount by 1/3.
- Bread Flour: You can swap this flour for all purpose flour if needed. However, I prefer the texture created in these garlic herb breadsticks with bread flour. Bread flour has more protein, which produces more gluten in the bread. Because of this, it gives the breadsticks more structure and a chewier texture.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Garlic Herb Breadsticks with Pizza Dough
Quick Overview
- Create the dough.
- Let it sit.
- Bake.
- Cut the breadsticks.
Step by Step Instructions
Allow the yeast mixture to sit for a few minutes until the yeast blooms.
Step 1: In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl), whisk together the water, yeast, honey, and rosemary. Let stand for a few minutes.
Step 2: Add the olive oil, 1 ½ cups of the flour, garlic, and salt. Mix on low with the paddle or dough hook attachment until well combined. Add another ¼ – ½ cup of flour if your dough is still wet enough that it is sticking to the sides of the bowl. Once the dough stays wrapped around the hook, mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. You can also knead it by hand if you do not have a mixer. The dough should feel slightly sticky.
Step 3: Form the dough into a ball. Grease the mixing bowl and dough well with olive oil, making sure the ball is coated.
Step 4: Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm environment for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Step 5: Once the dough has doubled, preheat the oven to 550 degrees (or as hot as it goes). Flour a clean surface. Gently tilt the bowl so the dough falls out. It will naturally begin to spread into a circle. Gently press and pull it into an oval that is about 9 x 13 inches.
Step 6: Let it rest for at least 10 minutes. While the dough rests, combine the olive oil, butter, and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining herbs. Set aside. Transfer the dough onto a pizza pan or baking sheet. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
Do not slice the breadsticks until the dough is cooled to avoid burns.
Step 7: Drizzle the herb butter on top.
Step 8: Bake for 10-13 minutes, rotating and checking the bread halfway through. Let cool and slice into breadsticks.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish these yummy garlic herb breadsticks with extra herb butter, fresh parsley, or a sprinkle of grated cheese (like mozzarella or pecorino).
I love serving these garlic bread sticks with Italian-inspired entrees. Here are a few ideas:
- Italian Baked Zucchini with Tomato sauce & Cheese
- Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake
- Easy Tomato Basil Chicken
Expert Tips
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the flour. When baking breadsticks, it’s necessary to keep the measurements accurate. Otherwise, you may have breadstick dough that is too sticky or too dry. For the best results, measure your ingredients (especially the flour) with a kitchen scale.
- Do not overwork the dough when shaping the bread. Overworking the dough can lead to tough-to-eat, overly chewy, and dry garlic herb breadsticks. The dough should be soft, slightly sticky, and stretch without tearing right away when it’s ready.
- Bake on high heat. Baking these yummy breadsticks on high heat helps create a crispier outside and a soft, pillowy inside. A higher temperature also allows the breadsticks to turn a beautiful golden-brown color.
Additions & Variations
- Add cheese: For an even more decadent version of these garlic herb breadsticks, add 1-2 cups mozzarella (or similar cheese) to the top of the dough.
- Use different herbs: You can adjust the herbs to your preference or based on the main you plan on serving with them. For example, if you’re eating herby chicken, you may want to use the same herbs in the breadsticks for a more cohesive meal.
- Make them sweet: You can also turn these breadsticks into a dessert by swapping out the herbs in the dough and the melted butter mixture with warming spices and sugar. Ensure you also leave out the cheese and garlic for this swap. Serve the breadsticks as-is, or enjoy them with a cream cheese frosting/dip.
Recipe FAQs
Typically, breadsticks are eaten alongside an Italian-inspired lunch/dinner. However, you can adjust the seasoning on these garlic herb breadsticks so they fit the flavor of your entrée.
Quite a few dishes from different cultures work well with breadsticks. For example, they taste good with pasta, pizza, cheese dip, French onion soup, hummus, and shakshouka. Many people pair breadsticks with Italian recipes, but they can be enjoyed with most recipes (especially if you adjust the herbs you use).
Breadsticks were created in Turin in the 1600s. There are multiple stories about how breadsticks were invented, including as a treatment for the Duke of Savoy, who had a declining appetite. Breadsticks were initially only consumed by nobles. However, they eventually spread to the general population in Italy and then internationally.
More Bread Recipes
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Garlic Herb Breadsticks from Pizza Dough
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 2/3 cup warm water, around 110 degrees
- 1 heaping teaspoon instant yeast, about half of a standard packet*
- 1 teaspoon honey*
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary*
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 1 1/2 cups (195 g) bread flour, plus an extra 1/2 cup (65 g) if needed*
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
- 1 heaping teaspoon EACH chopped fresh rosemary, basil, & oregano*
- 1.5 ounces (1/2 cup) parmigiano reggiano, grated
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl), whisk together the water, yeast, honey, and rosemary. Let stand for a few minutes.2/3 cup warm water, around 110 degrees, 1 heaping teaspoon instant yeast, about half of a standard packet*, 1 teaspoon honey*, 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary*
- Add the olive oil, 1 ½ cups of the flour, garlic, and salt. Mix on low with the paddle or dough hook attachment until well combined. Add another ¼ – ½ cup of flour if your dough is still wet enough that it is sticking to the sides of the bowl. Once the dough stays wrapped around the hook, mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. You can also knead it by hand if you do not have a mixer. The dough should feel slightly sticky.1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for greasing, 1 1/2 cups (195 g) bread flour, plus an extra 1/2 cup (65 g) if needed*, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- Form the dough into a ball. Grease the mixing bowl and dough well with olive oil, making sure the ball is coated.2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm environment for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has doubled, preheat the oven to 550 degrees (or as hot as it goes). Flour a clean surface. Gently tilt the bowl so the dough falls out. It will naturally begin to spread into a circle. Gently press and pull it into an oval that is about 9 x 13 inches.
- Let it rest for at least 10 minutes. While the dough rests, combine the olive oil, butter, and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining herbs. Set aside. Transfer the dough onto a pizza pan or baking sheet. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.1 Tablespoon salted butter, 2 cloves garlic, minced finely, 1 heaping teaspoon EACH chopped fresh rosemary, basil, & oregano*, 1.5 ounces (1/2 cup) parmigiano reggiano, grated
- Drizzle the herb butter on top.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes, rotating and checking the bread halfway through. Let cool and slice into breadsticks.
Notes
- Instant Yeast: The only yeast I use is the Red Star Platinum Superior Baking Yeast. It never fails to give my dough a good rise and works quickly. I highly recommend ordering it online if you can’t find it at your local grocery store. Active dry yeast will also work, though it will take about 20 minutes longer for your dough to rise. You can use it in a 1:1 ratio to replace instant yeast.
- Honey: If you don’t have honey, use granulated sugar. Granulated sugar is less sweet than honey, so you’ll want to use 2 teaspoons with this substitution.
- Herbs: You can use dried herbs for this garlic herb breadsticks recipe, but you’ll need to reduce the amount by 1/3.
- Bread Flour: You can swap this flour for all purpose flour if needed. However, I prefer the texture created in these garlic herb breadsticks with bread flour. Bread flour has more protein, which produces more gluten in the bread. Because of this, it gives the breadsticks more structure and a chewier texture.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the flour. When baking breadsticks, it’s necessary to keep the measurements accurate. Otherwise, you may have breadstick dough that is too sticky or too dry. For the best results, measure your ingredients (especially the flour) with a kitchen scale.
- Do not overwork the dough when shaping the bread. Overworking the dough can lead to tough-to-eat, overly chewy, and dry garlic herb breadsticks. The dough should be soft, slightly sticky, and stretch without tearing right away when it’s ready.
- Bake on high heat. Baking these yummy breadsticks on high heat helps create a crispier outside and a soft, pillowy inside. A higher temperature also allows the breadsticks to turn a beautiful golden-brown color.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.