One of my favorite restaurants is The Olive Garden. The only reason I like the place is the breadsticks, and the little Andes mints you get with your check. Usually when we go I will order the soup, salad, and bread stick meal because by the time I eat 1,2,3,4 (keep going) breadsticks I am too full for the entree. They are so amazing. I have tried to recreate them here with this recipe, which claims to come close. Now I'm not going to lie, these are not like the ones at the Olive Garden. Maybe that is a good thing because I want to still fit into my skinny jeans. However, they are really good. I actually made two batches of these, one into the breadsticks and the other into rolls. I then bagged them up and froze them for busy weeknights.

Almost Famous BreadSticks Your Homebased Mom

1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
4 1/4 cups flour
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp. warm water (110-120 F)

Topping

3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. oregano

To make dough, place 1/4 cup warm water in a bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add the flour, sugar, butter, salt and 1 1/4 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water to the yeast mixture and mix in mixer until sticky dough forms. Add some additional flour (a little at a time) and continue mixing until a nice soft, smooth dough forms.

Place on a floured surface and roll into a 2 ft. long log. Cut into 16 even pieces. Roll each piece into a 7 inch long breadstick. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Place about 2 inches apart. Cover with cloth and let rise in warm place for about 45 min to 1 hour.



Preheat oven to 400 F. Make the topping and brush breadsticks with 1/2 of mixture before baking. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. After you remove from oven brush with remaining butter mixture.


Like my little "runt" roll in the upper left?