Bread Machine Breadsticks

Breadsticks are a great addition to the dinner table, be it as a side, appetizer, or to eat with your favorite soup. If you are a fan of Olive Garden breadsticks and wondered if they could be made at home, then you will be pleased to know that it is really easy to make these copycat Olive Garden breadsticks at home.

I love to use my bread machine to make the dough for making soft breadsticks, however, you can also make dough in the stand mixer and proof it in the instant pot.

This easy breadstick recipe can be made at home with very few ingredients. They can be made ahead of time for meal planning and frozen. Any leftovers can be left out overnight and reheated the next day.

Ingredients

To make these copycat Olive Garden breadsticks, you will need to make the dough with basic pantry ingredients - all-purpose flour, water, salt, sugar, olive oil, and yeast. I prefer to use instant yeast while making the dough in the bread machine or in the stand mixer.

After baking the breadsticks, a mixture of butter, garlic powder, and salt is applied with a basting brush. You can easily make them vegan by using vegan butter. I also add some oregano and thyme, or an Italian seasoning to the butter to add flavor, which is absolutely delicious.

Instructions

It is really easy to make the dough in a bread machine for these homemade soft garlic breadsticks. Place all the wet and dry ingredients in the bread machine pan and start the dough cycle. It will do the mixing, kneading, and getting the dough through the first rise.

Make dough

It is best to weigh the flour with a digital food scale for consistent results. Measuring the flour by cups can add more or less flour than required and make the dough wet or too dry. For more details, you can check out my post on how to make dough in bread machine.

Shape dough

Once the dough is ready and done through its first rise, knead it on a lightly floured surface for a few seconds and then roll it into a square of about 12 by 12 inches in size. It may not end up exactly a square and that is fine.

With the help of a pizza cutter, make 8 strips of equal length and then roll the pizza cutter at the center to divide the strips equally. Now you will have 16 strips to be rolled into breadsticks.

Lift every strip and pinch it along the length from the bottom side so that it sticks well. With the help of your palms, roll them on the surface to make an even breadstick. Also, pinch the edges so they end up rounded after rising and baking.

Final rise

Place all the breadsticks on a baking tray at least an inch apart and allow them to rise in a warm place until they double in volume. This can take 1- 1.5 hours. Cover the breadsticks with another tray, or food wrap so that it does not try up.

If you want to speed up the process of rising, you can warm the oven for 5 minutes and then allow them to rise there for about 35-40 minutes.

Baking

Once they are done through the second or final rise, bake them in a preheated oven for 15-17 minutes at 350 °F until they are golden brown.

I have placed the rack at the middle level, however, baking time can vary by a few minutes depending on the oven and the level of the rack.

While the breadsticks are baking, make the topping by mixing melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and the Italian seasoning, or herbs. Apply it with a basting brush on hot breadsticks as soon as they are out of the oven.

Variations

Vegan: you can easily make them vegan by using vegan butter.

Herbs: some oregano, thyme, or Italian seasoning can be mixed with the butter to add flavor.

Serving suggestions

Breadsticks are a great addition to the dinner table and are devoured by kids. They can be served as a snack or with a bowl of hot soup like tomato soup, pasta soup, bean soup, or carrot soup. One of our family favorites is broccoli cheddar soup and it pairs really well with these flavorful garlic breadsticks.

These seasoned breadsticks can also be served as a starter or a side dish with some marinara sauce for dipping.

Equipment

To make the dough for breadsticks, I have used the 2 lb. Hamilton Beach Artisan bread maker. The dough is then shaped into sticks and baked in a convection oven. I have used a 15-inch by 11-inch baking tray.

Storage

Garlic breadsticks, or any bread must not be refrigerated as it loses its moisture and becomes dry. These copycat olive garden breadsticks can easily be left out overnight at room temperature. You can leave them covered with a kitchen towel.

When you want to serve them, you can simply warm them for a few seconds in the microwave and they will be perfect.

Just like any bread, you can freeze any leftover garlic stick bread. You can place parchment paper between the breadsticks while freezing so it is easy for you to take what you need. They can be frozen in a freezer-safe container or in a zip-loc bag.

When you are ready to eat the frozen breadsticks, take out how many you need and reheat them in the microwave or in the air fryer.

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