Soft Garlic Breadsticks Like Fazoli or Olive Garden

Name: Soft Garlic Breadsticks
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 180 min
Ingredients: 1 package yeast (1/4 ounce or 21/4 teaspoons); 1 cup warm water (110°F - divided use); 2 tablespoons sugar (divided use); 16 ounces all- purpose flour (about 3 to 3 1/2 cups); 1/4 cup butter (melted); 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (if using table salt just use 1 teaspoon); 1/2 cup butter (melted); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder (or to taste); 1/2 teaspoon oregano (optional)

Make restaurant-style garlic breadsticks right at home with this recipe! They're soft, chewy, and dripping with garlic butter!

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These are so easy to make that you'll be looking for things to serve them with!

Homemade garlic breadsticks in a basket with title text overlay.

Y'all, these go perfectly with this ricotta chicken recipe!

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🗝️ Key takeaways
🧾 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
⏰ How to make breadsticks ahead of time
🧊How to freeze unbaked breadsticks
🥐 How to make "brown and serve" breadsticks
🥫 Storage
💭 Tips
👩‍🍳 FAQs
🍽️ Serve with...
📚 Related recipes
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
📞 The last word
📖 Recipe
📓 Meal plans in minutes
💬 Comments

🗝️ Key takeaways

They are soft and chewy like Fazoli's or Olive Garden with so much buttery garlic flavor! Best of all, they are easy to make from scratch.
Since they freeze well you can have them anytime you want, whether it's a cozy family dinner or you're trying to impress the in-laws.
Learn how to freeze the unbaked breadsticks so you can make them easily anytime you want - without messing up the kitchen!

Big, soft, and dripping with garlic butter - breadsticks are the best thing about eating at an Italian restaurant like Olive Garden or Fazoli's!

They're even better when you make them at home because they're so fresh. You can have just as many as you want - better get your sweatpants on.

Breadsticks are a delicious snack served with a bowl of homemade spaghetti sauce, too!

Unlimited breadsticks. Mmmmm..... try these Vienna rolls, too!

🧾 Ingredients

🔪 Instructions

Step one: make the dough

This recipe is easiest if you make it in a stand mixer - you can make it by hand but you'll need to knead for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

Collage showing how to mix the dough for this recipe.

Add ½ cup of the warm water, the packet of yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar together in a small bowl. Whisk to blend and set aside about 5 minutes or until foamy.
Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the remaining water, sugar, and about 1 ½ cups of flour.
Beat on medium speed until the mixture forms a smooth batter. Add the cooled melted butter, the remaining salt, and about a cup more of flour.
Continue to beat on low speed until a soft, sticky dough is formed. Switch to the dough hook.
On low speed add a little of the remaining flour and knead with the dough hook, adding more flour, until the dough is smooth and elastic (see tips). You may need a bit more flour than called for in the recipe - especially if you used cup measure rather than weighing it.
Form the dough into a smooth ball.

Step two: first rise, shaping, & second rise

Step by step images showing the dough rising and shaping.

Butter a large bowl and transfer the dough to it. Turn the ball of dough over so it is buttered on all sides.
Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and set in a warm place to rise until doubled. This will take an hour to an hour and a half.
You can stop at this point, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Begin again about 1 hour before dinner to have fresh breadsticks with dinner.
After the dough has risen punch it down.
I like to weigh it and divide into 12 equal pieces. Let the pieces rest about 10 minutes - it makes them easier to roll.
Roll each piece into an 8-10 inch rope and place them on a parchment covered cookie sheet.
Lightly brush with melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled - 30 minutes to an hour.

Step three: baking

Step. by step images for rising and baking shaped breadsticks.

Melt the remaining butter. Mix the salt, garlic powder, and oregano in a small bowl and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Brush the breadsticks with melted butter and sprinkle liberally with the garlic powder mixture. You can't have too much garlic in my opinion! Place in the oven.
After 5 minutes brush with butter and sprinkle with garlic powder mixture and return to the oven for about 8 to 10 more minutes, or until they are golden brown and done.
Remove from oven. Brush generously with remaining butter and sprinkle with garlic powder mixture.

Next time try this easy, 30 minute baguette! It's perfect for garlic bread.

Closeup of golden brown breadsticks in a basket.

⏰ How to make breadsticks ahead of time

Follow the instructions above all the way through shaping the breadsticks.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper that's been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Brush the breadsticks lightly with melted butter.
Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with nonstick spray and cover the unbaked breadsticks tightly with the sprayed side toward the dough, sealing the plastic wrap around the baking sheet.
Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
When ready to bake remove from the refrigerator.
Let rise for 2 hours.
Brush with melted butter and bake as directed above.

🧊How to freeze unbaked breadsticks

Make the dough as directed through the shaping of the breadsticks.
Follow the instructions for making the breadsticks ahead of time but place in the freezer for 2 hours.
Remove from baking sheet.
Place in airtight freezer container with parchment paper between the layers and freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw and bake:

Place frozen breadsticks on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking as directed in recipe.

🥐 How to make "brown and serve" breadsticks

Follow the instructions for Fazzoli's breadstick recipe above all the way through putting the breadsticks in the oven.

Bake for 6 minutes or just until done but not until golden brown - interior temperature will be about 195F.
Remove from oven and let come to room temperature.
Flash freeze right on the baking sheet.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and put in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To bake preheat the oven to 350F. Place frozen breadsticks on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Brush with butter and sprinkle with garlic mixture.
Bake until golden brown.
Brush with more butter and garlic.
Serve hot.

🥫 Storage

These soft garlic butter breadsticks are best the day they are made. You can store leftovers tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for a day or two.

Freeze for longer storage.

🔥 To reheat

Wrap in aluminum foil and reheat in a 325F oven for 10 minutes or until hot.

🧊 To freeze baked garlic bread sticks

Let the breadsticks cool to room temperature.
Wrap in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil. This helps prevent freezer burn.
Freeze for up to three months.

To serve: thaw and warm in a 350F oven.

Decorative image of breadsticks on a plate.

💭 Tips

Expert Tip: Make sure all ingredients are comfortably warm - about 110F. Use an instant-read thermometer if you aren't sure.

Weighing the flour will give you the best results - sometimes 16 ounces of flour can be 3 cups and sometimes 3 ½ depending on a lot of variables.
You can use bread flour if you prefer.
When dough is smooth and elastic it will feel similar to your earlobe if you pinch it. It will also "pull back" if you stretch it away from the main ball of dough.
I removed 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and substituted it with 3 tablespoons of gluten flour for a chewier texture.
Sprinkle the breadsticks with a little Parmesan cheese when you brush them with butter the last time.
The easiest ( and best) way to divide the breadstick dough evenly is to weigh it. Divide it into 12 2-ounce pieces. Since they are all the same size they will bake more evenly.
I like the flavor of butter in these but you can use olive oil for a more traditional flavor if you prefer.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

What does Fazoli's put on their breadsticks?

They use a liquid butter substitute called "whirl". We're using real butter so expect these to be SO much yummier!

What do you eat breadsticks with?

You can eat them plain as a side with pasta or other Italian style food or as an appetizer with a dip like warm marinara. We love them with this angel chicken mac and cheese!

Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast in this recipe?

Yes. Just add the instant yeast in with your dry ingredients and continue with the recipe as written.

Can I use garlic salt instead of garlic powder?

Using garlic salt instead of a combination of kosher salt and garlic powder tends to make these too salty because you can't control the amounts.

🍽️ Serve with...

Soft, buttery breadsticks go with all kinds of Italian food and practically everything else! We love them warm from the oven to serve with creamy angel chicken on a chilly night.

Serve this easy breadstick recipe with:

Panera Black Bean Soup is my copycat recipe for the delicious black bean soup that Panera discontinued a few years ago.
Taco Spaghetti has all the flavor of your favorite Tex-Mex meal in an easy, one-pot dinner!
Chicken Spaghetti is a Southern classic. This hearty comfort food is filling and delicious.
White Chicken Chili is a fun twist on regular chili. It's creamy, a little spicy, and a lot delicious!

Close up of a breadstick opened to show the inside texture.

You might also like these soft & fluffy cloverleaf rolls!

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📞 The last word

Don't you love that moment when you're driving home with take-out and there's a batch of warm, buttery, garlic breadsticks on the seat next to you?

You know not all of them are going to make it into the house. Your family knows not all of them are going to make it into the house.

The question is just how many are actually going to make it to the dinner table. Because... yum.

Only these homemade breadsticks are better, y'all.

SO SO much better. These soft and buttery breadsticks are made from scratch. While they're baking the whole house smells incredible!

Try them with a big bowl of lasagna soup...OMG!

And I have been known to dip them in Rotel sausage dip when no one is looking.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

First published September 15, 2021. Last updated July 14, 2023 for editorial improvements.

Garlic Breadsticks Recipe

🗝️ Key takeaways

🧾 Ingredients