
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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📖 Recipe

Bread Machine Breadsticks
Equipment
- Convection Oven
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup Water microwave 30 seconds
- 4 tablespoon Oil
Dry ingredients
- 420 grams All-purpose flour 3 ½ cup, or bread flour
- 2 tablespoon Organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 7 grams Instant yeast 2 ¼ tsp, or bread machine yeast
Topping ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Butter vegan butter can be used
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Making dough
- Add the wet and dry ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer.
- Close the lid and start the "Dough" cycle.
- Once "Dough" cycle completes, remove the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for a few seconds.
Shaping dough to make breadsticks
- Roll the dough into about a 12 by 12 inch square.
- Cut it into 16 strips using a pizza cutter.
- Lift each strip and pinch it along the length from the bottom side and then roll with your palms into a smooth and even stick.
- Arrange all the rolled dough sticks in a baking tray about an inch apart.
Second rise
- Cover the tray with another tray or plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise.
- After about 60 minutes the dough sticks will be double in volume and done through their second rise.
Baking the bread sticks in oven
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F with the rack at the middle level.
- Bake the breadsticks (uncovered) in the preheated oven at 350 °F for about 15-18 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
- Remove the tray from the oven.
Apply topping
- Melt the butter and mix the 'topping ingredients'*
- Apply the topping mixture with the help of a basting brush.
Notes
- It is best to weigh the flour using a food scale for best and consistent results.
- Dough can also be kneaded in a stand mixer and then proved in the instant pot or oven for about 1 hour before shaping into rolls.
- Check out this post for detailed instructions on how to knead dough in stand mixer and proof it in the instant pot.
- Follow the remaining steps starting from "shaping the dough"
- To make the breadsticks vegan, use vegan butter.
KT says
These came out so light and fluffy! I omitted the thyme, just a personal taste preference.
Alpa Jain says
Hi KT,
I am glad you liked the breadsticks 🙂
Cheers
Alpa
Denise Mc says
Thank you Alpa made this dough and made bread sticks and cinnamon rolls both were delicious Thank you for this recipe it's the only one i need for anything i. can make the sky's the limit
Alpa Jain says
Hi Denise,
I am glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Cheers,
Alpa
Lety says
Very soft and tasty. Done it several times. Thanks for sharing
Alpa Jain says
Hi Lety,
Glad you liked it, thankyou for the feedback.
Regards
Alpa