Easy Cheesy Breadsticks

These easy cheesy breadsticks are so good! The dough is simple – no stand mixer needed. And that garlicky cheesy topping is amazing!

Nothing beats cheese + carbs, and these glorious garlicky, cheesy breadsticks are no exception.

They’re dangerously simple to make, and dunked in a vat of marinara sauce, they are irresistible.

Easy Homemade Breadsticks

The breadstick dough for these easy cheesy breadsticks is simple, simple, simple. It’s a slightly trimmed down version of this epically popular recipe, and the dough can be stirred together by hand.

Once the dough forms a shaggy ball, ditch the spoon or spatula and knead the dough 15-20 times with your hands right there in the bowl.

It’s ok if the dough still has some bumps and texture to it. We aren’t going for perfect here. The goal is deliciously amazing breadsticks, and the hard part is already done!

Let the dough rise for 15-20 minutes until noticeably puffy. It may not necessarily double in size, but a good amount of puff and you’ll know it’s ready to go.

Making Breadsticks

Getting that lump of puffy dough to transform into magical cheesy breadsticks is beautifully easy.

1. Lightly grease a half sheet pan (otherwise known to us plebians as a rimmed baking sheet about 11X17-inches in size) with cooking spray or melted butter
2. Press the dough into a mostly even rectangle shape in the bottom of the pan.
3. Brush the dough with melted butter or olive oil (like, don’t even think about skipping this step)
4. Sprinkle with garlic and herb seasonings.
5. Add cheese, and lots of it.
6. Bake until golden.
7. Slice into cute, little breadsticks.
8. Abandon any ideas centered around eating just one.

The combination of buttery, garlic and herb flavors plus the melted, bubbly cheese and the soft and chewy breadstick is heavenly.

The easy cheesy breadsticks could be served with any variety of meals. Dunked in marinara sauce? Yes, please.

And they’re perfect for lunch (as the main event!) or an appetizer. My kids fight over the leftovers (if there are any) and pack them in their school lunches.

There are a million reasons to love these breadsticks.

I’ve been wanting a cheesy breadstick recipe to post on the site for a long time!

And although it took me a lot of variations (mostly refining the dough to get to the perfect thickness), it was worth the wait.

No one, I repeat, no one, complained about all the cheesy breadsticks hanging around after multiple recipe tests. Including myself. In fact, there was at least one entire recipe testing session that went completely unnoticed by the children because when they came home from school…there were no breadsticks to be found. 🤷🏼‍♀️

What can I say? These babies are ultra-yummy.

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Easy Cheesy Breadsticks

Yield: 18 breadsticks

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

4.98 stars (43 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 to 2 ¼ cups all-purpose or bread flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic herb seasoning (see note)
• 1 ½ to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. If you don't have a baking stone, use an over turned half sheet pan (if neither options are available, bake the breadsticks on the lowest rack in the oven). Allow the baking stone/baking sheet to heat at 425 degrees for at least 15-20 minutes before baking the breadsticks.
• In a large bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 3-4 minutes until foamy.
• Add the salt and flour and stir together until the dough forms a shaggy ball. It should be soft and slightly sticky but not overly wet.
• Knead the dough (right in the bowl) 15-20 times, greasing your hands or adding additional flour a tablespoon at a time, if needed. Don't over flour the dough; it should be soft and pliable.
• Knead and pat the dough one final time into a ball, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for 15-20 minutes until noticeably puffy.
• Lightly grease a half sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray (or brush with melted butter).
• Grab the dough from the bowl and stretch it out just a bit into a thick rectangle before placing on the sheet pan. Press the dough evenly into a large rectangle in the bottom of the sheet pan. (If the dough springs back or doesn't press out evenly, leave the dough alone and let it rest for 10-15 minutes to relax the gluten and then continue pressing it into a large rectangle.)
• Brush the dough with the two tablespoons melted butter or olive oil. Sprinkle with the garlic herb seasonings.
• Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the dough followed by the Parmesan cheese.
• Bake immediately or let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes for slightly puffier breadsticks.
• Place the sheet pan of breadsticks directly on the preheated pizza stone or over turned baking sheet, and bake for 15-17 minutes until the breadsticks are golden and the cheese is bubbly.
• Cut the breadsticks in half lengthwise (the long way) and then cut into strips for about 18 breadsticks total.

Notes

Garlic Herb Seasoning: I use this garlic herb seasoning (I grab it at Costco; it’s also at Walmart and online at Amazon). If you don’t have store bought garlic herb seasoning, you can use the following ingredients: 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt + 1 teaspoon dried basil + 1 teaspoon dried oregano + 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder + 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme. 

Proofing the Yeast: technically you don’t have to proof the yeast (let it get foamy in the warm water) before adding the flour. You can add all the dough ingredients and mix right off. But I’ve found that because this dough has a quick rising time, letting the yeast proof in the water for just a few minutes before adding the salt and flour gives it a jump start so the breadstick dough rises well during the short rising time. 

Author: Mel

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American, Italian

Method: Bake

Serving: 1 breadstick, Calories: 115kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 234mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

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