Olive Garden Breadsticks

Pamper yourself with these warm soft copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks baked to golden perfection right at home and brushed with savory garlic butter.

Course Bread

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword bread, breadsticks, Olive Garden

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 10

Rising Time 2 30

Total Time 3 5

Servings servings

Calories 184kcal

Author Kathleen

Yeast. In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together the water (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons), yeast (1 envelope), and 1/2 teaspoon sugar until yeast is dissolved. Allow mixture to rest for 10 minutes so the yeast can proof and rise and foam.
Combine. Attach the dough hook. Mix in 2 cups flour, salt (1 3/4 teaspoon), melted butter (3 tablespoons), and 2 1/2 teaspoons of remaining sugar until combined. With the mixer set on low, mix in more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer on medium and knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Remove dough from the mixer and form it into a ball. The dough should be slightly tacky, but not sticky.
Rise. Oil a mixing bowl and place dough in it. Turn to coat the entire surface with oil. Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free area until the dough doubles in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Shape. Punch dough down and divide into 12 equal pieces using a pastry knife, about 2 ounces each. Roll each piece out into a 7-inch long rope and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet
Second rise. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and let rise a second time, for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix together the topping ingredients; set aside.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush with topping. Serve warm!

Proofing Yeast- the reason you proof the yeast is to confirm it's alive and therefore active. You will simply combine the water, yeast, and sugar, in the bowl of a standing mixer and whisk it together. Allow to sit. After 10 minutes it should rise and foam. If it doesn't then it’s gone bad, toss it and start with new yeast (make sure it hasn’t expired).
Mix- Next you'll mix in flour, salt, and melted butter until combined.
Knead - Then you'll knead in the mixer with the dough hook.
Transfer and Rise- Transfer the dough ball to an oiled bowl, loosely cover, allow to rise for about 1 1/2 hours. The ideal temperature for letting the dough rise is 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temps will slow the process and higher temps can kill the yeast.
Punch Down and Shape -Punch dough down and divide into 12 equal pieces, about 2 ounces each. Roll each piece out into a 7-inch long rope and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cover Baking Sheet - Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and let rise a second time, for 1 hour. If you aren’t using it, and haven't heat up the oven, it's a great place to let your dough rise but any warm dry place will work. The rising time is kind of a guideline. You really want to ensure your dough doubles in size before moving on to the next step in the process.
Bake - Bake 10 – 12 minutes until golden then brush with garlic butter.