Garlic & Herb Breadsticks
Truly these are so much fun to make. Pillowy dough meets fresh herbs and butter in a beautiful holy union that your taste buds need to experience and pronto.
These are a perfect vessel to get all that left over pasta sauce from your plate and into your mouth. They’re crispy edges and soft centers will have your hands reach for seconds and slapping others from taking more, promise! Armed and double fisted with breadsticks isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Is it?
To make these little cuties, you’ll need a pretty simple and basic pizza dough, rosemary, thyme, garlic, butter, Parmesan cheese and salt.
I started by adding two teaspoons of honey into a liquid measuring cup. Added hot water {110-115 degrees} and stirred in a packet of yeast. Give it about five minutes so it can work its yeasty magic.
Next add in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil…
…stir and set aside.
In the bowl to your mixer {fitted with the paddle attachment} add four cups of good quality bread flour.
Then add two teaspoons of kosher salt and give it a quick stir.
Slowly stream in the yeast liquids and mix on low until it just starts to come together.
Switch to a dough hook and mix until it pulls away from the bowl, about 2-3 minutes. This dough should be a little sticky, but if you find it to be too wet then just sprinkle with a little more flour.
On a well floured surface, kneed for 2-3 minutes more.
Stop when it looks like old wrinkled skin. No offense to the elderly… this is just how my mother always explained it as looking like… thorrrry.
Toss in a well oiled bowl…
Place a tea towel over top and place it in a warm place to rise for 40 minutes
While the dough is rising, chop up enough rosemary and thyme to measure a tablespoon each.
In a small bowl combine; butter, garlic, herbs, salt and parmesan cheese.
Stir it until it’s well combined.
Remove the dough… it should have doubled {if not tripled} in size. Now deflate this sucker by punching it down with your hands… or fist OR face.
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On a well floured surface, use your fingers to stretch the dough out to a large rectangle. Spread three quarters of the butter mixture over top.
Fold the dough and cut into strips. I do this because it’s easier to cut straight even pieces this way.
Then I open them up and cut the piece in half. I’m sure there’s an easier way to do this whole thing, but I’m a creature of habit and not a big fan of change. So there you go.
I did half knots…
…And half twists. I like variety as well…
Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan, so when these babies come out of the oven lightly brush and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. So. Darn. Good.
So whether you choose to tie the knots or bake as twists… it’s a recipe that shouldn’t be too hard to follow even for those bread-making-challenged people such as myself. But worth every ounce of the effort you put into the process. Now go make a big batch of pasta and put these bad-boys to work.
Garlic & Herb Breadsticks
Yield: makes about 24
Ingredients:
FOR THE DOUGH
4 cups Bread Flour, plus more for kneading
1-3/4 cup warm Water {110-115 degrees}
1 envelope of Highly Active Dry Yeast
2 teaspoons Honey
2 tablespoons Olive Oil, plus more for oiling bowl
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
FOR THE BREADSTICKS
1 stick Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup Fresh Parmesan, grated
1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme, minced
1 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, minced
2 large Garlic Cloves, pressed through a garlic press or minced finely
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Directions:
To make the dough: Start by measuring honey into a liquid measuring cup. Add the warm water {make sure you use a thermometer to get an accurate reading} and stir in the yeast. Let sit so it can do its thing, about 5 minutes. Add two tablespoons of good olive oil and stir.
In the bowl of you mixer {fitted with the paddle attachment}; measure 4 cups of bread flour and two teaspoons of kosher salt. Stir to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually stream in the liquids. Use a spatula to get it all out of the cup. Mix just until combined and then switch to your bread hook. You could knead this by hand but it would take 6-8 minutes. Turn the mixer back on to medium-low and let it go for 3-4 minutes or until the dough pulls away from the sides.
Turn out the dough onto a well floured surface and continue to knead for 3-4 more minutes. Plop it into a well oiled bowl and toss it to coat. Cover with a tea towel and stick it in a warm, dry place for 40 minutes.
While the dough is rising, make the herb butter. Add softened butter, minced herbs, garlic, 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan and salt into a small bowl. Mix well.
After the time is up, punch it down and stretch it into a rectangle. Spread 3/4 of the butter over top of the rectangle. Place the remaining butter in a small saucepan and heat over low to melt. Fold the dough in half lengthwise and then cut in half. Cut into twelve even strips. Open each strip and cut in half at the middle. Tie in a knot, tucking the ends under OR twist into breadsticks.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 to twenty minutes. Remove brush with melted herb butter and sprinkle with a little remaining Parmesan. Serve warm.
Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours! (
I am definitely challenged in the bread making department but this recipe looks so good that I think I'm going to have to take the plunge and get on it!
My stomach just erupted in DESIRE.
Those look amazing, give me a bowl of marinara and just these.
Love that you make your own dough. This looks fantastic!!!!
i will surely try this weekend
I HAVE to make these!
Gorgeous!! Just gorgeous!
I'm in love with those little knots!
I am sooooo in love with those little knots!!!
um, wow. this is a must make for me!!
Whoa! I want that!
Wowee. I could totally live on these. 100%.
Uh, YUM! Pinned this recipe immediately, great post!
Um wow Laurie, these look so good. And I best your house smelled amazing while they were cooking up too. I you could send me a few of the knots I would be most appreciative!
Man those look amazing!!! I really need to try those. They would go perfect with a soup or spaghetti
You could probably cut the dough in half, then fold it over, and then cut the strips. That way you wouldn't have to open them all up and cut again. Look super yummy.
super like
First off they look yummy so I know they must taste so good!
You know how to make a girl hungry!
Goodness gracious, these look amazing.
Drooling…
I love garlic knots! In fact anything with garlic, butter and cheese is pretty great in my book. This looks like a fantastic (and very tasty) recipe!
Ooooh, delicious! I just had dinner, but you have me craving these! And props to you for baking without a machine
Homemade breadsticks are one of my all-time favorites! These look fantastic:)
I've been looking for a good garlic bread stick recipe. I can't wait to try these and I've pinned the recipe.
oh man laurie! i'd devour these in a hot minute!
oh my word – these look so delicious! I think I am going to add them to my to do list this weekend. Would go great with a pasta dish I am planning
My wonderful boyfriend got me a KitchenAid for Christmas (I guess he got the hint after I said "I need a KitchenAid" every time I was baking something
I haven't tried the dough hook yet and being as it is that my step dad is Sicilian and eats bread every single day, I think he would really appreciate some of these garlicy breadsticks. I have a huge family, so being able to make
Such a timely post! I made pizza last night and only used half the dough. Am having soup tonight and was wondering about turning that dough into bread-sticks! You just made up my mind!
That. looks. amazing.
Gotta talk myself out of making it every night now!
Okay, I’m going to unleash my inner editor and just say that this typo is really funny: Toss in a well oiled bowel… While I’ve followed every one of your recipes to a tee, I’m afraid I simply can’t this time.
simplyscratch replied: — November 13th, 2012 @ 1:22 pm
ah-haha!! Oopsies! Thanks
As I’ve had trouble with the twisting; I did one large panful (like pizza crust) and it turned out amazing. I love the thyme & rosemary combination (although I’ve been using dried). Will keep making this one!