Soft Garlic Breadsticks

Before you start

These are the soft, buttery breadsticks served in a basket before pasta: tender, slightly sweet, golden on top and very garlicky. They are nothing like crisp grissini. The dough is enriched with butter and a little sugar, kept soft, and baked briefly at a moderately high heat so the outside browns before the inside dries out.

The garlic butter goes on twice, once right before baking and again the moment they come out. The second brush soaks into the warm crust and gives the glossy, salty finish you expect. Use real garlic for the strongest flavor, grated finely so it does not scorch, and make the butter just before you need it.

Ingredients

• Dough360 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 15 g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 7 g (1¼ tsp) fine salt
• 240 ml (1 cup) warm water — about 38°C (100°F)
• 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted
• Garlic butter45 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1 large clove garlic — finely grated, or ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 20 g (¼ cup) Parmesan — finely grated
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley — finely chopped (optional)

Method

1. Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm water and melted butter and knead for 6 to 7 minutes by machine, until the dough is smooth, soft and just slightly tacky.
2. Cover and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Turn the dough out and divide it into 12 equal pieces of about 55 g each. Roll each piece under your palms into a rope about 18 cm (7 in) long, working from the center outward.
4. Arrange the sticks on a parchment-lined sheet about 4 cm (1½ in) apart. Cover and proof until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
5. Melt the 45 g butter with the garlic and salt over low heat for 1 minute, just until fragrant; do not let the garlic color. Brush about half over the puffed sticks.
6. Bake for 13 to 16 minutes, until golden brown on top and lightly browned underneath.
7. Brush the hot breadsticks with the remaining garlic butter, sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley, and serve warm.

Tips for success

• Weigh the pieces so the sticks bake evenly. Uneven sticks mean some are pale while others dry out.
• If a rope keeps shrinking back, move on to the next one and return to it after a minute or two of rest.
• For a softer crust all around, bake the sticks close together so they touch and pull apart after baking.

Substitutions

All-purpose flour

Bread flour gives a chewier stick; add 15 ml (1 tbsp) water.

Butter in the dough

Olive oil at the same weight. The crumb is a little less rich but still soft.

Fresh garlic

Garlic powder (½ tsp) is milder and will not burn, which is handy if your oven runs hot.

Variations

Cheese-stuffed breadsticks

Flatten each piece, lay a 10 g strip of mozzarella down the middle, pinch the dough around it and roll into a stick.

Everything seasoning sticks

Skip the Parmesan. Brush with plain butter before baking and sprinkle with everything-bagel seasoning.

Troubleshooting

Breadsticks came out dense and dry

Too much flour or baked too long. Keep the dough soft and tacky, and take them out as soon as they are golden.

Garlic tasted bitter

It browned while melting or baking. Warm it gently and use only a thin coat before baking.

Sticks lost their shape and turned into blobs

They overproofed or were too thick. Roll them to an even 18 cm and bake once they look puffy, not ballooned.

Storage

Serve warm. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and rewarm at 175°C (350°F) for 5 minutes. Freeze baked sticks for up to 2 months. Do not keep leftover garlic butter at room temperature; refrigerate it and use it within a few days.

Safety notes

Raw dough contains uncooked flour and should not be tasted. Contains wheat and milk.