Easy Sourdough Breadsticks with Garlic Butter Recipe
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These 100% sourdough breadsticks are incredibly soft, lightly chewy, and extra fluffy with a thin, golden crust. Be sure to top them with my simple garlic butter. It takes them to the next level of delicious with a rich, savory finish!
This same-day recipe is perfect for dipping in your favorite sauces. Serve them along side some other sourdough favorites like homemade Sourdough Pasta, Sourdough Meatballs, or Sourdough Pizza for the ultimate Italian meal.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Simple ingredients, straightforward prep
Some recipes call for a long list of ingredients and easy-to-get-wrong shaping, but not this one. You’ll mix basic ingredients like flour, water, sugar, salt, and your starter, then shape the dough into ropes. Even if you’re new to sourdough, these steps lead to breadsticks that look and taste like you’ve been baking for years.
Same-day sourdough flavor
You get that gentle tang of fully fermented sourdough in a couple of hours. You prep and bake the same day. These Italian breadsticks taste like you spent hours in the kitchen, and technically you did, but most of that time is just the dough doing its thing while you go about your day.
Pull-apart texture that everyone loves
The inside is soft and tender with just a little chew, and golden crust. They’re perfect for dipping into sauces, sharing at the table, or even grabbing straight from the rimmed baking sheet while still warm...because why not?
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Water – I used water that was 100–110°F. If you use cooler water, bulk fermentation will slow down. The water shouldn’t be a degree warmer than 120°F, otherwise, this can kill your sourdough starter.
- Flour– You can make these breadsticks with all-purpose flour, but I recommend bread flour. The higher protein content helps the dough rise better and makes the breadsticks softer and fluffier.
- Sugar – You can substitute the sugar for cane sugar or honey. Use the same amount in grams.
- Unsalted Butter – If you substitute with salted butter, reduce the salt by 1 gram (¼ teaspoon).
Baking Time For
|
Time |
Process |
|---|---|
|
9:30 AM |
Mix and knead dough |
|
9:45 AM |
First dough rise |
|
2:45 PM |
Shape breadsticks |
|
3:00 PM |
Second rise |
|
5:00 PM |
Bake |
How to Make Sourdough Breadsticks
- Add the water, sourdough starter, melted butter, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix until smooth.
- To the wet ingredients, add the flour and salt. With a dough hook, mix again on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, then knead the dough on medium speed for 6-8 minutes until a smooth dough forms. Read the recipe card below to learn how to know when the sourdough bread sticks dough is ready.
- Remove the dough and place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it sit until it doubles in size.
- Once the dough has at least doubled in size, punch the top of the breadstick dough to remove the air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.
- Gently stretch the dough into a rough rectangle shape. With a bench scraper, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces.
- Roll out the dough pieces to 6-7 inch long ropes and place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all the breadsticks are shaped.
- Once shaped, cover the baking sheet with this plastic cover and let the dough rest for its second rise. The final proof is complete when the dough has almost doubled in size and looks nice and puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F for 13-15 minutes or until the breadsticks are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190–200°F.
- Brush the top of the breadsticks with the garlic butter, serve warm and enjoy!
How to Store:
These homemade sourdough breadsticks stay soft and pull-apart tender even after baking.
Room Temperature
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5.
Freezer
For longer storage, freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When your family’s ready for more, take out a few, let them thaw at room temperature, and warm in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to bring back that fresh-baked softness.
FAQs
Yes, you can. The breadsticks will still turn out well, but they won’t be as chewy or fluffy. Bread flour’s higher protein content gives them that soft, fluffy middle with just enough chew to remind you they’re sourdough. All-purpose flour works too and plenty of home bakers use it, but expect a lighter texture.
You don’t need a stand mixer for this. It’ll speed things up, but kneading by hand works just as well. Hand-knead for about 8–10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
Yes. You can shape the breadsticks, cover them, and let them rise in the fridge overnight. The next day, bring them to room temperature, let them finish rising if needed, and bake. You can also par-bake them the day before and finish baking right before serving so they’re hot and fresh.
Sourdough Breadsticks Recipe
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Ingredients
Sourdough Breadsticks
- 200 grams warm water 3/4 cups + 1 Tablespoon
- 200 grams active sourdough starter 1 cup
- 25 grams sugar 2 Tablespoons
- 57 grams unsalted butter, melted 4 Tablespoons
- 405 grams bread flour scant 3 cups
- 9 grams salt 1 1/2 teaspoons
Garlic Butter Topping
- 42 grams unsalted butter, melted 3 Tablespoons
- 1 gram salt 1/4 teaspoon
- 1 gram garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon
- dried parsley if desired
Instructions
Mix Dough
- To a bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sourdough starter, sugar and melted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until smooth.You can also mix and knead the dough by hand, but you will need to knead the dough slightly longer, 8-10 minutes, to achieve the windowpane test.200 grams warm water, 200 grams active sourdough starter, 25 grams sugar, 57 grams unsalted butter, melted
- To the wet ingredients, add the flour and salt. With the hook attachment, mix again on low speed. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the dry ingredients and then continue to mix on low for 1-2 minutes.405 grams bread flour, 9 grams salt
- Once all of the ingredients have been incorporated, continue to knead the dough on medium speed for 6-8 minutes.You’ll know the dough has been kneaded completely when it is smooth and elastic. The dough will completely pull away from the sides of the bowl when it is being kneaded and it will pass the windowpane test.This means when you stretch a small section of dough into a thin film, the light will be able to pass through without the dough tearing. If this is accomplished, the dough has been properly kneaded.
- Remove the dough and place it in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a reusable cover.
Bulk Rise
- Place the dough in a warm place in your kitchen and allow the dough to double in size.In my 70 degree proofing box, this took about 5 hours. The bulk rise greatly depends on the temperature of your dough and kitchen. If you have a colder kitchen, the rise time will take longer. If your kitchen runs warm, the first rise will take less time.
Shape
- Once the dough has at least doubled in size, punch the top of the dough to remove all the air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.
- Gently stretch the dough into a rough rectangle shape. With a bench scraper, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces (about 55g each).
- Roll each piece of dough into a 6-7 inch rope, then place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all the breadsticks are shaped.
- Once shaped, cover the baking sheet with this plastic cover and let the dough rest for its second rise. The final proof is complete when the breadsticks have almost doubled in size and look puffy. This took about 1 ½ – 2 hours in my 70 degree kitchen.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and bake for 13-15 minutes or until the breadsticks are beautifully golden brown and the internal temperature is 190 – 200 degrees F. If the breadsticks are starting to brown too quickly, cover them with aluminum foil and continue to bake.
- While the breadsticks are baking, prepare the garlic butter by adding the melted butter, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt in a small bowl. Whisk until incorporated and set aside.42 grams unsalted butter, melted, 1 gram salt, 1 gram garlic powder, dried parsley
- Remove the Sourdough Breadsticks from the oven. With a pastry brush, brush the tops of the breadsticks with the garlic butter while they are still warm. Serve the Sourdough Breadsticks warm and enjoy!
Notes
Refer to the Sample Baking Schedule above in the blog post.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Water – I used water that was 100–110°F. If you use cooler water, bulk fermentation will slow down. The water shouldn’t be a degree warmer than 120°F, otherwise, this can kill your sourdough starter.
- Flour– You can make these breadsticks with all-purpose flour, but I recommend bread flour. The higher protein content helps the dough rise better and makes the breadsticks softer and fluffier.
- Sugar – You can substitute the sugar for cane sugar or honey. Use the same amount in grams.
- Unsalted Butter – If you substitute with salted butter, reduce the salt by 1 gram (¼ teaspoon).
Shaping Tips:
- To shape, place your fingertips at the center of each piece of dough. Gently roll your hands back and forth while gradually moving them outward toward the ends. Continue this motion until the breadstick reaches the desired length and thickness.
- Pinch the ends and any seams of each breadsticks for a more finished look.
- Be sure not to rush the 2nd rise! Otherwise, the breadsticks will bake up dense, gummy and pale.
Italian night just got better! Rich with the garlic butter and so incredibly soft and fluffy. Yum!