Sourdough Breadsticks
Sourdough breadsticks are so easy to make with your sourdough starter. They are light, fluffy, and brushed with delicious garlic butter. The dough can be mixed in the morning and baked fresh to serve with dinner the same day!
What could be better than hot, fresh-from-the-oven breadsticks made with sourdough starter?
Well maybe a warm loaf of sourdough bread or a piping hot pizza made with sourdough pizza crust, but I digress.
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Sample baking schedule
For the following example, my kitchen was 70°F (21°C). Warmer kitchens will need less time and cooler kitchens will need more time.
- 8 PM: Feed starter
- 8 AM: Mix dough, knead, cover, and let rest.
- 1 PM: Divide dough, shape, and let rest.
- 3 PM: Bake.
Ingredients needed
- sourdough starter
- all-purpose flour or bread flour
- butter
- honey or sugar
- sea salt
- garlic (for garlic butter)
How to make sourdough breadsticks
These breadsticks could not be easier to make and I'm going to show you step-by-step how you can mix this dough first thing in the morning and have them ready by dinnertime!
Step 1: Feed your starter
The night before you plan to mix the dough, feed your sourdough starter so that it is active and bubbly when you are ready to get started.
Step 2: Mix the dough
Add the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and bring them together with your hands. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes. It will become smooth in texture when it is ready for the next step.
If the dough is sticky, lightly dust your hands with flour as you are kneading but don't add too much. It will become less sticky as you knead it.
Stand mixer instructions: Add the dough ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and fit it with the dough hook attachment. Mix the dough on medium speed for about 10 minutes. The dough will become smooth in texture and pull away from the sides of the bowl when it is ready.
Step 3: First Rise
Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise at room temperature until it has risen by about 50-75%.
Step 4: Shape and Second Rise
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, each should weigh approximately 80g.
Use your hands to roll each portion into a log shape.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange 6 breadsticks per sheet leaving space for them to rise.
Cover the sheets with clean tea towels and allow the dough to rise until they are puffy and risen by 30%.
Step 5: Bake
Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Bake the breadstick dough for 20 minutes or until they are light golden brown.
While they are baking place 3 tablespoons of butter and 2 crushed garlic cloves in a saucepan over low heat.
Remove the sourdough breadsticks from the oven and brush each one with garlic butter.
How to store
If you have any leftover breadsticks, store them at room temperature for up to 2 days in a bread bag or in a plastic bag after they have cooled completely.
After that, store them in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to a month for the best taste and texture.
When you are ready to eat them, allow them to thaw in the fridge or at room temperature. They can be reheated in the microwave or the oven.
More easy sourdough recipes: sourdough bagels / soft sourdough pretzels / sourdough ciabatta rolls / soft sourdough dinner rolls / sourdough hamburger buns
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Sourdough BreadSticks
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of Active Sourdough Starter
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) sourdough starter
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ tablespoons (50 g) water
Dough Ingredients
- ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter
- ¼ cup (56 g) butter (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey (or sugar)
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (270 g) water
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) fine sea salt
- 4 cups + 2 tablespoons (500 g) all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
Garlic Butter
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
INSTRUCTIONS
Feed your Sourdough Starter
- 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, add the ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of active sourdough starter to a clean jar. Stir until combined, loosely cover the jar and let the starter rise at room temperature. (The ingredients will create a total of 115 g active starter but, because some of it will stick to the sides of the jar during the transfer, we are making a little more than needed.) The sourdough starter is ready to use when it has doubled in size and there are plenty of bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar.
Make the Dough
- Mix the dough: Add the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and bring them together with your hands. Turn it out onto a clean work surface and knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes. It will become smooth in texture when it is ready. (If the dough is sticky, lightly dust your hands with flour as you are kneading but don't add too much. It will become less sticky as you knead it.)Stand mixer instructions: Combine the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix on medium speed for 8-10 minutes. The dough will become smooth and pull away from the sides of the bowl when it is ready for the next step.
- Bulk Fermentation: Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise 50-70% at room temperature.
- Shape and Second Rise: Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, each should weigh approximately 80g. Use your hands to roll each portion into a log shape. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange 6 breadsticks per sheet leaving space for them to rise. Cover the sheets with clean tea towels and allow the dough to rise until they are puffy and risen by 30%.
- Score and Bake: Preheat your oven to 400°F and bake the breadsticks for 20 minutes.
- Garlic Butter: Heat the butter and crushed garlic cloves in a small saucepan while the breadsticks are in the oven. Remove the breadsticks from the oven and brush each one with warm garlic butter.
I have made these twice. They are easy to make and, are delicious .👍
If I have already shaped into sticks and they rose can I pop them in the fridge for a couple hours until I’m ready to bake?
Yes you can!
I really enjoyed making these breadsticks. They are very tasty and smell amazing. I did however do a cold fermentation after the first rise because I started too late in the day to finish them off. The dough did fantastic! I definitely plan to make these again. Thank you for the recipe.
I made these bread sticks. Everyone liked them. My husband said I can make them anytime!
I made these bread sticks. Everyone liked them. My husband said he could make them anytime!
If you mix your dough in the morning will it be over proofed
If you wait til dinner to bake?
If your kitchen isn't too warm it should be fine.
Very easy to make. Nice crispy outside and bubbly soft inside.
I made this and it was very good, good for soup especially in winter. Thanks for the recipe.
If I wanted to split the work up into 2 days like an artisan loaf, could I feed AM, mix dough PM, and just do a rise overnight on the counter for 12 hours (winter, kitchen is 65), and then put the dough in the fridge in the AM until ready to shape and bake?
Yes you can. I would reduce the starter by half (50grams) which will allow for a slower rise without over fermenting.
Love your recipes!! Found this and am in the middle of making it now. Mt Boys grew up going to an awesome Italian restaurant with garlic knots. Could I shape these in to knots and bake or do you know of a separate recipe like that? Thank you and keep it coming!
Yes you can shape them into knots!