Cheese Breadsticks

Cheesy, buttery, soft and chewy breadsticks are utter perfection. Our family gobbles these morsels up when they are nice and warm, fresh from the oven.

Better than those Italian restaurants, and the PERFECT air freshener…am I right?! After all, you eat with your nose first. Or is it your eyes? Either way these breadsticks will not disappoint! Try serving these with Homemade Zuppa Toscana or Tuscan Lentil Soup. Yum!

Cheese breadsticks on a baking sheet

Easy Cheesy Breadsticks

Who invented the bread stick? A baker in Northern Italy named Lorenzo Torinese in 1679 invented the bread stick. And boy are we grateful!

Quick to make, these divine homemade breadsticks fill the kitchen with a tempting aroma when they are baking, and they’re wonderful served warm. Our family likes these breadsticks because they are soft, chewy, and cheesy!

Grab the kids, and have them come in and help. We promise they’ll love it!

A ball of dough for breadstick recipe

How to Make Breadsticks

DOUGH. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, salt, and flour. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low for 2 minutes. Switch to the dough hook attachment, knead on low for 4 minutes.

RISE. Grease a large bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for 1-1 ½ hour or until doubled in size.

PREP DOUGH. Punch down the dough with your fist to release air Divide the dough in half (Tip: depending on how many breadsticks you want to make, you can freeze one half for later, or use both right away). Lightly flour your work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12×15 rectangle.

BUTTER MIXTURE & CHEESE. In a small bowl combine the melted butter, minced garlic, garlic powder, parsley, and salt. Brush butter mixture over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle half of it with the cheeses. Fold the half without cheese over on top of the side with cheese. Press to seal.

FORM BREADSTICKS. Cut into 1 1/2-inch strips. Pinch both ends of the strip and twist in opposite directions (take care not to drop the filling).

BAKE. Place each twist onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and top with additional Parmesan. Bake at 475 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

How to make breadsticks

Variations & Additions

Add some extra flavor: You can incorporate dried herbs into the dough if you really want to get some flavor into the bread. Another option is to just top the bread with some extra flavor like butter and garlic powder. (Melt the butter, mix in spices, pour butter over the bread sticks.)

Cinnamon: Lay your dough flat before spreading melted butter on it. Then you sprinkle a mix of cinnamon and sugar on top of it. Then use a pizza cutter and cut the bread into 1 inch width thick strips. As you pick up each strip of dough twist it a few times before placing it on the baking sheet. Bake them for about 15 minutes. This will yield twisty cinnamon breadsticks, it is one of my kids’ favorite pizza night desserts!

Make it gluten free: Substitute the normal flour for gluten free bread flour.

Homemade breadsticks on a baking sheet

Storing + Serving Tips

Storing: Store breadsticks at room temperature in an airtight container to keep them fresh and soft. They should last for 4-5 days. You can reheat breadsticks in the oven if you wrap them in foil and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. If you don’t have time for this, you can microwave them for 20-30 seconds wrapped in a moistened paper towel. 

Freeze the dough: After making the dough and letting it rise, you can separate it into 2 balls and spray them with nonstick spray before placing them in an airtight bag. This can last up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to use it, defrost the dough for 12 hours, let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before dividing the large balls into smaller balls and eventually breadsticks. This will be easier to store than independent breadsticks.

We like to serve these breadsticks with some of these dishes:

Closeup up of cheese breadsticks

For more bread recipes, check out:

 

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Breadstick Recipe

Cheesy, buttery, soft and chewy breadsticks are utter perfection. Our family gobbles these morsels up when they are nice and warm, fresh from the oven.
4.75 from 4 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 1 1/4 c warm water - 110 degrees F
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast - 1 packet
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3 1/2 c all purpose flour

For the Filling

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
  • 2 cloves garlic - minced
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 c mozzarella - shredded
  • 1/4 c Parmesan cheese - grated

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
  • Add the olive oil, salt, and flour. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low for 2 minutes. Then switch to the dough hook attachment. Knead on low for 4 minutes.
  • Grease a large bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.  Let the dough rise for 1-1 ½ hour or until doubled in size.
  • Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, set aside.
  • Punch down the dough with your fist to release air. Divide the dough in half. Freeze or use one half for later.
  • Lightly flour your work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x15 rectangle.
  • In a small bowl combine the melted butter, minced garlic, garlic powder, parsley, and salt. Brush over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle half of it with the cheeses. Fold the half without cheese over on top of the side with cheese. Press to seal. Cut into 1 1/2-inch strips. Pinch both ends of the strip and twist in opposite directions. Take care not to drop the filling. Place each twist onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and top with additional Parmesan.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 154IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg

 

 

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About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

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Comments:

  1. Is the butter/spice mixture and all the cheese just for 1/2 the dough, or is that to be split and used for the other half of the dough? I used it all with the half of the dough and they were delicious, but didn’t know if I was overdoing it.

    1. If you were to use both right away, you would split it, but there is nothing wrong with using the whole amount for 1/2 the dough 🙂 The cheesier the better!

  2. 5 stars
    These are so cheesy and heavenly! Next time I need to double the batch because they did not last long! Lots of requests to make these tomorrow night again.