I decided to make some homemade Olive Garden style breadsticks for a get together dinner this week. I found conflicting recipes and decided to take them my own way. Unfortunately, I really did not have the time to make these. Luckily I have an amazing husband to loves to help the wife out especially when she commits to things she doesn’t necessarily have time for. That is why the breadsticks turned into a joint effort. I made the dough and rolled them out to let them rise for about an hour longer than needed. That is when Brent stepped in to put on the basting sauce and bake them for me! Here is our version of these breadsticks which I will not call “Olive Garden” but I will suggest them to anyone because they were mighty tasty!
Ingredients:
Dough:
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or 1 package)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon salt
Basting Sauce 1:
3 tablespoons butter
salt to taste
Sauce 2:
3 tablespoons butter
dried oregano
garlic powder
Combine the yeast, sugar and warm water and let set for about 5 minutes until frothy. Mix in the flour, melted butter and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until mixed. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth and soft. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll them into about 7 inch long breadsticks. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Create the basting sauce. Melt the 3 tablespoons butter and mix in the salt. Lightly coat each breadstick. Place in the oven on the middle rack for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Bake each batch separately. Meanwhile create your second sauce. Melt the butter and mix in the oregano and garlic powder to taste. After the breadsticks come out of the oven, immediately coat them with the second sauce.
Let them cool for a few minutes. Serve with your favorite pasta and enjoy!
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