Soft Sourdough Breadsticks

These soft sourdough breadsticks are a special treat—buttery with coarse salt and garlic on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. They are easy to make, and there is nothing like these sourdough breadsticks when they are fresh out of the oven.

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Sourdough Guides for Beginners

• How to Feed and Maintain a Sourdough Starter (Easy Refrigerator Method)
• Sourdough Baking Terms for Beginners
• Essential Sourdough Bread Making Tools

We usually serve these soft sourdough breadsticks for special occasions alongside spaghetti or linguine with shrimp scampi. My husband loves these homemade breadsticks…

And I have to cut him off after three or four.

Let’s just say they really are worth making from scratch so they can be eaten warm and fresh!

They are super simple to shape by rolling the dough into a rectangle and slicing into sticks with a pizza cutter.

The baking schedule offers some flexibility. You can start the dough in the morning to bake the same evening, or you can make the dough in advance, letting it ferment in the refrigerator until you’re ready to proof and bake.

Why Make Breadsticks with Sourdough Starter Instead of Yeast?

Traditionally, bread was always made from a wild yeast (or sourdough) starter. The long ferment time improves the digestibility of the bread, reduces the gluten content, and increases the nutritive properties.

Commercial yeast, then, is more like the “fast food” of the bread world. For most people, sourdough is the healthiest way to enjoy eating bread.

I use my starter all the time in my kitchen! I make Sourdough Soft Pretzels, Sourdough Croissants, Soft Sourdough Potato Rolls, and more!

I would still consider these breadsticks as more of a treat than a health food, but I’m happy that they are probably more nourishing for my family than the same breadsticks would be made with commercial yeast.

This recipe calls for active starter at 100% hydration. This just means it’s been fed with equal weights flour and water for a consistency similar to pancake batter. You should plan to feed it a few hours before you plan to mix your dough so it’s nice and bubbly.

If you don’t have your own starter yet, you can learn how to make one in about 7 days here: Easy Sourdough Starter from Scratch

Tips for Making Soft Sourdough Breadsticks

• Avoid adding too much flour to your dough or your breadsticks won’t be as tender. Start with less flour than you think you’ll need, then add more flour in small amounts just until your dough begins to pull away from the bottom and sides of your mixing bowl.
• Make sure to knead your dough properly. It takes about 8 minutes on low speed in a stand mixer until the dough becomes smooth and elastic (or you can do it by hand).
• Finally, don’t skimp on time. Allow enough time for the dough to ferment and later proof before baking. If your house is chilly, try proofing in a turned-off oven with the oven light on for more warmth.

Recommended Equipment

• stand mixer (optional)
• large lidded glass bowl
• half sheet baking pan
• parchment paper
• rolling pin
• cutting board
• pizza cutter
• pastry brush

How to Make Soft Sourdough Breadsticks

Step 1- Make and Ferment the Dough

Add sourdough starter, water, sugar, salt, softened butter, and 2½ cups flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix until a smooth dough forms.

Continue adding flour, 1/8 cup at a time as needed, until your dough begins to pull away from the bottom and sides of the mixer. Be careful not to add too much flour.

Continue kneading on low speed for 8 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic.

Lightly oil a large lidded glass bowl and transfer your dough to the bowl. Cover loosely with the lid. Now you have two options depending on your schedule:

1. Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for 8-12 hours.

2. Let the dough ferment at room temperature for 4 hours, then cover tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours and up to 2 days before baking your breadsticks. Remove your dough from the fridge about one hour before cutting your breadsticks to allow it to come back to room temperature.

Step 2 – Cutting and Proofing the Breadsticks

When you’re ready to form your breadsticks, turn out your dough onto a large, lightly floured cutting board.

Roll the dough to a 12×7-inch rectangle.

Use a pizza cutter to slice the rectangle into 12 even breadsticks. I like to cut it in half first, then into quarters…

And then it’s easier to cut them evenly. Cutting the bread sticks is so much quicker than hand rolling the dough into snakes.

Transfer the breadsticks to a parchment-lined half sheet pan, leaving space between each one.

Then cover the pan with plastic wrap (not too tightly) and allow the breadsticks to proof in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until they look “poofy.” When my house is cool, I set the pan in my turned-off oven with the light on for extra warmth.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F (remove the pan if it’s proofing in there!).

Step 3 – Baking and Seasoning the Breadsticks

Remove the plastic wrap from pan, and bake breadsticks on the center rack of your oven for 10 minutes or until they are lightly golden. (Keep in mind the darker you bake them, the more chewy and less soft they will become.)

Perfectly imperfect, right?

Use a pastry brush to brush the hot breadsticks with the 1½ tablespoons of melted butter. Immediately sprinkle them with coarse salt and a bit of garlic powder to taste.

And that’s all there is to it! I guarantee you they won’t last very long!

Do These Breadsticks Freeze Well?

Yes! Leftover breadsticks will keep better in the freezer, in fact, than if you store them on the counter.

Allow them to cool completely before freezing them in an airtight container. Simply microwave them to thaw and warm them for another meal later.

If you make this recipe and love it, I would be so grateful if you would come back to leave 5 stars and a comment. Your feedback is very appreciated!

Tag your photo on Instagram @aberlehome to show me what you made!

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Soft Sourdough Breadsticks

Yield: 12 Breadsticks

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Additional Time: 1 day 3 hours

Total Time: 1 day 3 hours 32 minutes

These breadsticks are a special treat---buttery with coarse salt and garlic on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. They are easy to make, and there is nothing like these sourdough breadsticks when they are fresh out of the oven.

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup active, bubbly sourdough starter
• 3/4 cup water
• 1½ tablespoons sugar or honey
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2½-3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1½ tablespoons butter, melted (for brushing)
• coarse salt and garlic powder for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Add sourdough starter, water, sugar, salt, softened butter, and 2½ cups flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix until a smooth dough forms. Gradually add flour 1/8 cup at a time as needed until dough begins to pull away from the bottom and sides of the mixer. Don't add too much flour.
2. Continue kneading on low speed for 8 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
3. Lightly oil a large lidded glass bowl and transfer your dough to the bowl. Cover loosely with the lid and allow to ferment at room temperature for 8-12 hours, or until it has nearly doubled in size. (Alternately, let the dough ferment at room temperature for 4 hours, then cover tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours and up to 2 days before proofing and baking. Remove from fridge one hour before cutting breadsticks to allow dough to come back to room temperature.)
4. Turn out your dough onto a large, lightly floured cutting board. Roll to a 12x7-inch rectangle.
5. Use a pizza cutter to slice the rectangle into 12 even breadsticks. Transfer breadsticks to a parchment-lined half sheet pan, leaving space between each one.
6. Cover pan with plastic wrap and allow breadsticks to proof in a warm place (75°-80°F) for 1-2 hours, or until they look "poofy." Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F.
7. Remove plastic wrap from pan, and bake breadsticks on the center rack for 10 minutes or until very lightly golden.
8. Use a pastry brush to brush hot breadsticks with the 1½ tablespoons melted butter. Immediately sprinkle with coarse salt garlic powder to taste.
9. Serve breadsticks warm, or allow to cool completely before freezing in an airtight container.

Notes

I like to proof in my oven (not heated) with the oven light on for a little extra warmth. Just be sure to removed your pan from the oven before preheating if you do this.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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  Hiware 200-Piece Parchment Paper Baking Sheets 12 x 16 Inch, Precut Non-Stick Parchment Sheets for Baking, Cooking, Grilling, Air Fryer and Steaming - Unbleached, Fit for Half Sheet Pans
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  Pyrex 8-piece 100 Years Glass Mixing Bowl Set (Limited Edition) - Assorted Colors Lids
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  KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixers, 5 quart, Pearl Metallic
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  Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet (2 Pack), Silver

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 365Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 358mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 11g

*Nutrition information is not always accurate.