Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 450 g store-bought pizza dough, room temperature
Garlic-Herb Butter
- 45 g unsalted butter, melted
- 3 garlic, minced
- 2 g dried oregano
- 2 g dried parsley
- 3 g kosher salt
Cheese Topping
- 150 g low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- 30 g parmesan cheese, grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 428 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 18 mg
- Potassium
- 48 mg
- Calcium
- 134 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 6 mg
- Phosphorus
- 89 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 60 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 8 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 220C/425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the room-temperature pizza dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands, gently stretch and press the dough into a large rectangle, about 1 centimeter thick. If the dough snaps back, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before continuing.
In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried parsley, and kosher salt. Stir until well mixed.
Using a pastry brush, spread the garlic-herb butter evenly over the entire surface of the stretched dough, reaching all the way to the edges.
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the buttered dough.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and the edges of the dough are deep golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice the rectangle into 12 even sticks. Serve warm.
Chef's Notes
- For the crispiest bottom crust, preheat your baking sheet in the oven and carefully slide the parchment paper with the prepared dough onto the hot pan.
- Always grate your own block mozzarella rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded varieties contain anti-caking agents like cellulose that prevent smooth melting.
- If you want a slight kick, add 1-2g of crushed red pepper flakes to your garlic butter mixture.
- To elevate this simple snack, serve with a side of warm, high-quality marinara sauce for dipping.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze fully baked and cooled. Wrap tightly in foil.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175C/350F oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese is melty and crust is crisp.
Troubleshooting
Dough keeps shrinking back when stretching
Cause: The gluten in the dough is too tight and cold
Fix: Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10-15 minutes, then try stretching again
Prevention: Allow store-bought dough to sit at room temperature for at least 30 to 60 minutes before handling
Cheese burns before the center dough is fully cooked
Cause: Oven racks are too high or oven runs hot
Fix: Tent loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time
Prevention: Bake on the middle or lower-middle rack
Center of the breadsticks are soggy
Cause: Fresh mozzarella was used instead of low-moisture, releasing excess water during baking
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always use low-moisture block mozzarella for baking on flat doughs
Cultural Context
Cheesy garlic breadsticks are a staple of Italian-American pizzerias and casual dining chains. Originally evolving as a creative, zero-waste method to utilize leftover pizza dough scraps at the end of a shift, they have become a definitive party food and Super Bowl classic in their own right.
