Olive Garden Breadsticks Copycat-Style
Soft yeast bread, a garlic finish and room for soup
The short version
Bake soft, garlic-topped breadsticks with a simple yeast dough and visual proofing cues. Original, untested home formulation with estimated timings. Not the restaurant’s recipe, a tested replica or an endorsement. Image is illustrative.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 2 hr
- Serves
- 12 servings (1 breadstick each)
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting as needed
- 1 cup lukewarm water, within the yeast package’s recommended range
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for the dough
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for the topping
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt for the topping
Instructions
- 01
Mix a soft dough. Combine flour, instant yeast, sugar and dough salt. Stir in water and the dough oil. Knead about 8–10 minutes until smooth and supple. If crumbly, add water a teaspoon at a time; if persistently sticky, dust lightly with flour. Avoid burying the dough in extra flour.
- 02
Let the dough rise. Cover in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise until roughly doubled, about 45–60 minutes in a comfortably warm room. Cooler rooms may take longer. Rise and texture, not the clock alone, determine readiness.
- 03
Shape twelve sticks. Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces. Roll into sticks about 7 inches long and arrange with space between them on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover loosely and proof about 20–30 minutes until visibly puffy. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- 04
Bake until lightly golden. Bake about 12–15 minutes, rotating the sheets if needed, until lightly golden and cooked through. Ovens and stick size vary; the bottoms should be lightly browned and the center should not be wet dough. Do not taste raw dough.
- 05
Give them the garlic finish. Mix the topping oil, garlic powder and topping salt. Brush over the warm breadsticks and serve. The oil finish is this home recipe’s choice, not a disclosure of the restaurant topping.
Larry’s rule: Puffy before the oven, lightly golden after it. Too much extra flour trades tenderness for a dry breadstick.
Quoting or citing this recipe? Credit “Uncle Larry Adventures” andlink to this page.