Rustic Italian Breadsticks
Soft-golden brown breadsticks brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with Italian herbs! The perfect accompaniment to any meal!
If you were to ask me what carb I just can’t do without, my answer would be definite and quick!
BREAD!
I LOVE BREAD!!
It truly is one of my downfalls, especially now when I’m trying to cut back on carbs to lose that extra weight that has gathered around my midsection this winter! So instead of eating it ALL the time, I’m limiting myself now, and honestly, I’m enjoying it even more as a ‘special’ treat!
Of course, if I’m going to sacrifice and only have my favorite food now and again, you better believe it’s got to be good. And…homemade! Because is there really anything better?
The good news is I found a homemade Country White bread recipe years ago, that is SUPER easy and so amazing you’ll never buy store-bought again!
But even better-this bread is SO versatile that instead of making two loaves of bread, you can switch it up and make 24 breadsticks! And if you’d rather make rolls instead-no problem! This recipe will also make 12 good sized dinner rolls!
How awesome is that?
So let’s get started on that dough, shall we?
First, we are going to activate our yeast by dissolving it in warm water and adding in sugar! If your yeast is good, you should see the mixture start to bubble almost immediately. Within seconds it will begin to foam and folks we’ve got active yeast!
Now it’s time to add the flour and salt. I usually pour half of the mixture into my stand mixer (just so I don’t have flour everywhere) and then I add a bit of melted butter. Once that is mixed in I add the remaining flour mixture. You’ll notice the dough start to pull away from the bowl by this time. That’s a good thing!!!Â
If it isn’t, just go ahead and add more flour (1/2 cup at a time) until it does. Then let that dough hook knead away for about 5-7 minutes or until the dough is smooth.
Once it is, the dough is ready to rise. For this process, I usually grease a good-sized bowl(that’s a lot of dough) and scoop my dough out of the mixer and into the bowl. Then I cover it with a towel and place it in my oven. (I have a bread-proofing option on my oven.) You can also just place it in any warm location.
If you’re going to make all breadsticks with this dough then go ahead and roll it out on a well-floured surface. Then cut it in half with a pastry cutter. Then cut those halves into strips and then cut those strips in half. Got it? Good! Now you should have twenty-four chunks of dough to roll into breadsticks!
Friends, there is a reason I call these Rustic Italian Breadsticks. That’s because no two breadsticks are alike! Seriously! Some are shorter. Others are longer. Some are skinny. Others are fat. It doesn’t matter. That’s called rustic in baking terms!Â
Just get those rustic breadsticks on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let them rise again. I guarantee they will start to look a WHOLE lot better once they do! And when they have doubled in size again, brush them with a little egg wash. That’ going to make them turn that scrumptiously mouthwatering golden brown!
Once baked, those soft and golden breadsticks are ready for one final step. Just brush them lightly with a mixture of butter, garlic powder and Italian season, and VIOLA!
Serve them right out of the oven with soup, salad, or even your favorite Italian entree!
Me? Well, I could just eat one (or six) of these breadsticks all by themselves.
But I won’t. Instead, I plan on freezing most of them. Did I mention they freeze well? Just remove them from the freezer when you’re ready to serve and follow these instructions!
wrap them in foil and place them in a pre-heated 350 oven for 10-15 minutes.
Here’s the full recipe!
Rustic Italian Breadsticks
A soft and tender breadstick brushed with butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 2 1/4 cups warm water (not hot)
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter(melted and cooled) or canola oil
- 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
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Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in a stand mixer(using dough hook) or large mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until yeast activates and begins to bubble and froth. Combine flour and salt in another large mixing bowl. Slowly add half of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture. Stir until just combined. Pour in melted butter or oil. Add in remaining flour. The dough should begin to separate from the bowl. If not, add in more flour (1/2 cup at a time) until it does. Continue to knead the dough with a dough hook until smooth. ( 5-7 minutes) (If you don't have a stand mixer remove the dough and place on a floured surface. Knead for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel. Set in a warm location and allow to rise double in size. (About 1 hour) Pat down the dough and place on a floured surface. Roll the dough out a bit and then cut the dough in half. Then cut each half into 6 sections and cut those in half. Giving you a total of 24 pieces of dough. Roll each piece of dough into a breadstick and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover the breadsticks and allow them to rise until double in size. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 20 minutes or until the breadsticks are golden brown. Combine melted butter, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Brush this mixture over the breadsticks as soon as you remove them from the oven. Serve warm.
I know we all live busy lives and often times we just don’t have two or three hours to put into baking bread. I get that. But honestly friends, the time it takes to whip up this bread dough and make these breadsticks is SO worth it!
They are fresh and amazingly delicious and they were created by YOUR hands! How awesome is that?
You know you want to try these yummy breadsticks, so why not PIN them for later?!
Looking for more bread recipes?
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Rustic Italian Breadsticks!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
I have a thing for bread, too. Especially fresh baked bread. My mouth is just watering thinking about it! Your bread sticks sound amazing!!!
Oh my goodness, Michelle, they were so YUMMY!!! Thank you so much for stopping by and I’m so glad to hear someone else adores bread as much as I do! LOL!