Gramma's Homemade Breadsticks
No dinner is complete without a side of Gramma's soft, fluffy, and perfectly plump homemade breadsticks. They are easy to make, with just six simple ingredients! These breadsticks are best enjoyed warm and lightly buttered alongside soups, stews, and pastas.
Servings: 8 medium breadsticks
Ingredients
- ⅔ c lukewarm water
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ c canola or olive oil
- 2 c unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
Instructions
- Mix lukewarm water and yeast together in a medium bowl. Let the mixture sit 5 minutes. A small foamy layer should form, indicating that the yeast has activated.
- Mix in the sugar, salt, and oil and stir until incorporated.
- Add 2 cups of flour to the mixture and mix until loosely incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and not sticky, 5 to 7 minutes. If the dough is sticky, add a small amount of flour (1-2 tablespoons at a time) to the dough and work it into the dough. Repeat until the dough is smooth and elastic--It should slowly bounce back when pressed.
- First Rise: Lightly mist the bowl with cooking spray. Return the dough to the greased bowl and cover with a clean dish cloth. Leave in a warm, dry place to raise until the dough has doubled, anywhere from 1 to 1½ hours.
- Divide the dough into 8 roughly equal sized balls. Roll the balls out on a clean surface into medium-length breadsticks (9-10 inches). This can be done by using your palms to roll the dough up and down along the surface, while applying pressure to the dough and moving your hands from the center of the dough ball outward in a small up-down/circular motion.
- Prepare the baking sheet by either lightly misting with cooking spray or lining with silicone baking mats.
- Second rise: Place the breadsticks on a prepared baking sheet and let rise for another 20 minutes, until slightly puffy. While the breadsticks rise, preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Bake the breadsticks uncovered for 12-14 minutes, or until just lightly golden on the top. Be careful of over-baking, as the bottoms will darken quite a bit faster than the tops. If the tops begin to darken too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil.
- Remove the breadsticks from the oven and lightly coat with butter. Immediately transfer to a serving plate to prevent the breadsticks from continuing to cook. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce or as a side to a bowl of soup or pasta!