Soft Breadsticks

Jump To Recipe by Cindy @mycountrytable

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These Soft Breadsticks are light, buttery and easy to make from scratch, so if you’re a fan of chewy breadsticks, this may not be the recipe for you. Brush them with butter, sprinkle on some salt and they are divine. The perfect side for any meal.

Just in case you’re intimidated by making any recipe involving yeast, I’m here to tell you not to be! Yeast is simply an ingredient in the mix. All you need to do is check the yeast to make sure it hasn’t expired.

These soft breadsticks are the perfect side with any meal. I sometimes serve them with my homemade Tomato Florentine Soup, or my Vegetarian Vegetable Barley Soup. They’re also great with lasagna, spaghetti or really any pasta. They also make a great appetizer dipped in marinara sauce.

Really, who doesn’t love some form of warm bread with any meal. You might also like my No-Knead Dinner Rolls or Angel Rolls.

How to make soft breadsticks

Preheat an oven to 160 degrees and turn off. Lightly butter a large baking sheet (11 x 17) and set aside. Grease a large mixing bowl with butter and set aside.

Proof the yeast

Add the yeast and pinch of sugar to the warm water and using a spoon, lightly press any floating yeast under the water so that it gets wet. Note, the water should be between 110 and 120 degrees, no hotter. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Mix and Knead

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the yeast mixture, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, the egg, sugar, salt and 3 1/8 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed to combine. Since you’re using the dough hook, you need to stop and scrap the flour down from the sides with a spatula a few times. If the dough is still wet, add the remaining 1/8 cup of flour.

Once it’s combined turn the mixer to medium-high speed and mix/knead for 5 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides completely and cling to the dough hook. It should be smooth and elastic.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough 2 to 3 times with your hands. Then form it into a somewhat flattened ball.

First rise

Place the dough ball top side down in the greased bowl, then flip it over. Place a lint free kitchen towel over the bowl and place it in the warm turned off oven. Leave it in the warm oven until the dough has almost doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough to release the air and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface.

Cut the breadsticks

Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 10 x 16 inches. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 16 strips.

Place the dough strips on the buttered cookies sheet, and brush the tops with melted butter.

Second rise

Cover the pan with a lint free towel and place in the oven again. Allow the dough strips to rise for 15 minutes in the oven. Remove them from the oven and allow them to set on a counter for an additional 15 minutes covered.

Meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the second 15 minutes has ended, brush the dough strips with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.

Bake the breadsticks

Bake the bread sticks for 18 to 20 minutes until they are golden brown on top and remove them from the oven.

Brush with additional melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Pro tips for making soft breadsticks

Measure your flour correctly. Run a fork through your bag or container of flour to aerate it. Then spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Don’t add quite all of the flour at one time. In this recipe, I reserved 1/8 cup of the flour to add only if the dough was still wet after mixing it.
Make sure to use fresh yeast. Check the expiration date on the packet. There are some pantry staples I feel safe to use past the expiration date, but yeast is not one of them. Frankly, if it’s even close to the expiration date, I don’t like to chance it. After all, who wants to take the time to make any kind of homemade bread just to have it not rise! Bummer indeed!
Make sure your water is the right temperature to proof your yeast. It should be between 110 and 120 degrees, no warmer. Any hotter and it will kill the yeast.
Your bread dough needs a warm place to rise, somewhere around 75 degrees. That creates a problem for me, since I’m hot natured. Therefore, here’s what I do. I preheat my oven to 165 degrees and turn it off before starting my recipe. Then I place my covered bowl of dough in the warm oven to rise. If your kitchen is warm you don’t need to do this. Just make sure it’s free from any drafts and you cover the bowl.

Chewier Option

If you prefer a chewier option you can twist each strip of dough and pinch the ends together before placing them on the baking sheet. I made the twisted version first, but my favorite is the soft and fluffy one. To each his own. 🙂

Serving options

These breadsticks are great just the way they are with butter and salt but here’s a few more great ways to serve them,

Sprinkling them with grated parmesan cheese after brushing them with butter
Serve with Marinara sauce
Dip in melted warm butter with garlic and your favorite herbs
Serve with Alfredo sauce

Frequently asked questions for this recipe

Can I prep the dough breadsticks ahead of time?

You can prep the dough breadsticks the day before. I don’t suggest prepping any sooner. Make the recipe through step 8, (the first rise and cutting the strips). Place the dough breadsticks on the baking sheet, leaving about 1-inch between them. Cover them really well so they don’t dry out. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove them from the refrigerator and start preheating your oven. Allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes until they are starting to rise some (get puffy). Then bake as directed on recipe.

Can I freeze baked breadsticks

You can freeze them short term. I suggest no more than one month. Wrap each one in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag. When thawing, bring to room temperature. Place in a 350 degree oven just until warmed, brush with additional butter and serve