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We are big Olive Garden fans! Which is why I’ve recreated their Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno, Olive Garden Marinara Sauce, and their famous Alfredo sauce (which came straight from the restaurant itself, from a former employee)!
I love recreating copycat recipes, and these breadsticks are one of my favorites!
Olive Garden Breadsticks
I get it, there are a lot of breadstick recipes out on the web, and maybe you’re wondering how mine is different?
If you know me, you know how serious I am about replicating restaurant copycats. I will attempt to copycat it until I get it right (the chef in me 😊)!
Anyway, these breadsticks didn’t come easily on the first try, nor did they meet my expectations. Somewhere down the line of attempts, a light bulb went off in my head, and an interesting idea came…
The idea was to add baking powder to the dough, and it’s been proven to make the best Mall Pretzels of all-time (read all the reviews)!
My attempts were over, and these Olive Garden Breadsticks became a favorite ever since (we’re talking 7+ years)!
The baking powder works as a dough enhancer (no more special mixes to rely on). And it makes the most chewy, soft handmade breadsticks!
Serve them fresh, for the best flavor like at Italian restaurants, or par-bake and keep them frozen for convenience! My children devour these little breadsticks, and if you want them to go even quicker, make this dipping sauce (below)!
A Delicious Five Cheese Marinara Dipping Sauce:
In a small saucepan, heat together 3/4 cup marinara sauce, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1/4 tsp sugar, 3 Tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and 2 Tbsp each of three of your favorite cheeses. I often just have mozzarella or Colby. Breadsticks go with Alfredo Sauce, too! This sauce turns out pink and is so delicious!
What does Olive Garden Put on their breadsticks?
A former employee said the breadsticks were precooked and that they were just put in the oven for a few minutes on each side, then brushed with melted margarine and sprinkled with garlic salt (shaker). If sodium is a concern, do part garlic salt and part garlic powder.
I do not buy margarine, so, of course, I used grass-fed, salted butter for the most delicious breadsticks!
Pro-chef tip: It is true that eggs make dough softer and more tender. Eggs add more moisture, and the yolk acts as a natural emulsifier, creating a smoother dough with better volume. I took some inspiration from my Italian Bread Recipe and added an egg to create this recipe.
How to Make Olive Garden’s breadsticks
If you want to make breadsticks like Olive Garden’s, then making a large batch is the best way to go (might as well if you’re going to make your hands dirty). Let’s walk through how to make Olive Garden breadsticks at home step-by-step, and don’t forget to jump to the recipe card to see the full photo tutorial.
Don’t want to make them? You can buy them by the case here. Other suppliers might sell them in smaller quantities, too, if you look.
Freezing Homemade Breadsticks:
My recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen, and our family of 8 woofs them down.
If this amount seems like it would be too much, par-bake the ones you don’t plan on eating. Then cool and flash freeze them on a cookie sheet. When they are rock solid, transfer them to a freezer bag and label them. Keep them frozen for up to 6 months in a deep freezer.
How to reheat Olive Garden breadsticks? Thaw the frozen breadsticks at room temperature (this usually takes a couple of hours). Heat them in a 350°F oven for up to 5 minutes, rotating them until golden and hot. Then brush them with melted butter and a good sprinkle of garlic salt.
Yeasted doughs freeze very well, so if you want to shape the breadsticks and freeze them uncooked, that will work, too. To do this, you need to thaw them for at least 2-3 hours. Let me slightly rise for about 20 minutes and bake them at 400°F for 8-10 minutes.
How to make Breadsticks:
- Make the bread dough. To start, gather all of your ingredients and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly grease the paper with cooking spray (I love this healthier option).
- Then make a simple proofed yeast mixture of water, dry active yeast, and granulated sugar in a large measuring cup.
- While that’s activating, measure the bread flour and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer. Make sure to measure the flour correctly by scooping it into a measuring cup and leveling it with a knife.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and baking powder.
- When the yeast mixture looks activated (it should look foamy and bubbly), add it to the flour mixture (the prepared dry ingredients). Then add in the egg and oil. Turn on the stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix until combined.
- When the flour is incorporated, set the timer to 5 minutes and knead the dough.
- The dough will look very tacky and sticky. Oil your hands and the dough well. Shape it into a ball and cover the bowl with a towel. Let it rise 1 1/2 -2 hours. It will hydrate and be much easier to work with.
- When the dough has risen, generously flour a large pastry mat, and transfer the dough to the surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, then each piece into 8, making 32 pieces in total. I like to shape them into balls and roll them out into 7-inch breadsticks.
- Arrange them all into the pans and allow them to rise for 20 minutes. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 8-10 minutes. For freezing, bake at the 8-minute mark.
- When the breadsticks are golden brown, and the internal temperature reads anywhere from 190-200°F (88°-93°C), remove them from the oven and brush them with melted butter and a good sprinkle of garlic salt. We like to serve them in a bread basket lined with a kitchen towel for a cozy vibe.
FAQ’s about Olive Garden breadsticks
Can I halve this recipe?
Yes, this recipe halves easily, and I would still add an egg for extra softness. Simply decrease the ingredients by half, and the recipe will yield 16 breadsticks. Keep in mind that breadsticks are small, so a few breadsticks can easily be eaten as a serving.
Does 1 cup of flour weigh 120 grams?
I sometimes get asked this question, and while 120 grams is the “recognized” value for 1 cup of flour, it rarely ever weighs that amount for me. I do (scoop and level), and for me, it ranges from 140-155 g of flour (depending on the flour and humidity).
For me, one cup is usually 145 grams. So, the metric measurements in this recipe are exact (based on 1 cup of flour really being around 145 g). I weighed 5 cups of flour and got a total of 739 grams on my scale. I’ll include all the metric measurements for this recipe in the recipe card.
Why is my dough so sticky?
This breadstick recipe makes a very tacky dough, but I promise it’s what makes these incredibly soft! As it rises, it continues to hydrate and will be easy to shape with a little bit of dusted flour. So, don’t be tempted to keep adding flour while kneading the dough. If it’s still too sticky for your liking, then increase the flour by 1/4 cup.
Why are my breadsticks dry or crumbly?
If your breadsticks are too dry and chewy, it’s likely you added too much flour. Be sure you’re measuring with measuring cups (not the Pyrex liquid measuring cups), and measure the flour correctly by scooping and leveling. As mentioned above, this bread dough is very tacky but will come together nicely after it rises. Don’t be tempted to keep adding flour until the dough pulls away from the sides. This recipe is on the more hydrated side for the fluffiest breadsticks ever!
Notes on Homemade Breadsticks:
- Do not overbake! When the breadsticks are just getting golden brown around the edges, and the bottoms are lightly browned, they’re usually done. Overbaking will make the breadsticks drier and chewier.
- Convection oven: decrease baking temperature by 25 degrees F if using a convection oven.
- Use a pastry mat (it works wonders)! You won’t need to add too much flour or grease to the surface with this handy non-stick tool.
- When dividing the dough, I first score the top where I will be cutting the dough, then slice. It eliminates the use of a scale, as I can glance and see that the pieces look somewhat similar.
- The breadsticks will look small and narrow when shaping. Once they bake, they will double in size.
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Favorite Ways To Serve Homemade Breadsticks
I love to serve bread in a woven basket with a kitchen towel. It feels like our family is dining in at Olive Garden!
- If you ever have leftovers from my five cheese marinara sauce (using my ziti recipe), save it for these breadsticks! Same goes for Alfredo Sauce!
- Homemade salads pair excellent with breadsticks!
- And of course unlimited homemade soups like the Zuppa Toscana, and Pasta e Fagioli!
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Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Yeast Starter:
- 2 cups warm water, (80-90°F)
- 1 tsp dry active yeast
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Dough Ingredients:
- 5 cups bread flour*, (plus more for dusting)
- 1 tsp garlic salt, (I used Lawr'ys brand)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, (I used the Kraft brand in a shaker)
- 1/3 cup canola oil, (or any neutral-flavored oil)
- 1 grade AA egg
Instructions
- In a liquid measuring cup, proof the yeast. Combine 2 cups of warm water, 1 tsp of yeast, and 2 Tbsp of sugar. Let that sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 5 cups of flour, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese. Mix together and make a well in the center. Add one egg, 1/3 cup of oil, and the proofed yeast mixture. Stir together with the dough hook until the dough comes together. Knead for 5 minutes.
- The dough will look very tacky and sticky, with greased hands shape the dough into a ball and oil the top and bowl well. Cover and allow the dough to rise until doubled (about 1 1/2-2 hours).
- After the dough has risen, it will be more elastic and easier to handle. Flour a large pastry mat with 1/4 cup of flour and transfer the dough onto the floured surface. Evenly divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Then cut each piece into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then roll out into a 7-inch breadstick, using more flour if needed.
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Place the breadsticks into the prepared pans and allow them to rise for 20 minutes. (Preheat the oven to 400°F, 15 minutes into the rise time).
- When the breadsticks have slightly risen bake them at 400° F for 8-10 minutes. (the 7 or 8-minute mark if freezing).
- Meanwhile melt 8 Tbsp of salted butter. When the breadsticks are hot out of the oven brush them with melted butter and evenly sprinkle with 2 tsps of garlic salt before serving. Serve in a bread basket lined with a kitchen towel.
Notes
- The metric measurements in this recipe are exact for the flour. Add 1/4 cup (35 grams) of the flour if your dough is too sticky. This recipe will make a tacky dough but will turn out melt-in-your-mouth good!
- Bread flour can be substituted with all-purpose flour. My favorite brand is King Arthur.
- A standard 2-pound bread machine can be used to make this dough. Simply follow the instructions for the dough setting. This dough can also be made in a large bowl and kneaded with your hands.
Nutrition (per serving)
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