Easy Garlic Bread Stick Recipe – Crispy 30-Minute Crowd

There is a moment, about eight minutes into baking, when the garlic butter hits the hot oven and the whole kitchen smells like the inside of a good pizzeria. You will hear a faint sizzle at the edges of the pan before you even open the door. That is your cue that something very good is happening.

These garlic bread sticks start with a simple store-bought pizza dough, so you skip the yeast anxiety and get straight to the good part: brushing on a garlicky, parsley-flecked butter and watching the sticks puff and turn golden. They come out crisp on the bottom, soft in the middle, and dangerously easy to eat straight off the tray.

You do not need a stand mixer or a proofing box. You need a sheet pan, a pastry brush, and about fifteen minutes of hands-on work. Let's make the bread sticks that disappear before dinner even hits the table.

About the Ingredients

1 lb (454 g) store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature

Let it sit on the counter 30 to 45 minutes so it stretches without snapping back. If you only have cold dough, a 10-second microwave burst on 50 percent power softens it fast.

6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted

Salt the butter yourself since brands vary wildly in sodium. For a richer flavor, swap in 3 tablespoons of the butter for good olive oil.

4 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced

Fresh garlic is non-negotiable here; the jarred stuff tastes flat and bitter when baked. A microplane gives you the smoothest, most even distribution.

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Dried parsley works in a pinch, but use just 2 teaspoons since it is much more concentrated. Chop fresh parsley right before using so it keeps its bright green color.

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pan

Diamond Crystal kosher salt is less dense than table salt, so adjust if you are using fine salt. A coarse flaky salt sprinkled at the end gives a nice crunch.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

This reinforces the fresh garlic without adding moisture. Onion powder makes a nice swap if you want a rounder, sweeter note.

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Freshly cracked pepper is brighter than pre-ground. Skip it entirely if you are serving very young kids.

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, optional

Parmigiano-Reggiano melts into a nutty crust; the green-can version is saltier and drier. Pecorino Romano is a sharper, punchier substitute.

1/4 cup (60 ml) warm marinara or pizza sauce, for dipping

Warm the sauce so it does not cool the bread sticks down. A jarred arrabbiata adds a pleasant kick.

1 tablespoon olive oil, for brushing the dough

Any neutral oil works for the pan, but olive oil adds flavor to the crust. Use a light-tasting olive oil so it does not overpower the garlic.

Tips & Tricks

Do not skip the room-temperature dough

Cold dough fights you and shrinks back, so let it relax fully before rolling or you will get short, stubby sticks.

Watch the garlic butter

Garlic burns at high heat, so brush the butter on right before baking and keep the second brush for after the oven.

Use a hot pan

Preheating the sheet pan for 5 minutes gives you that crisp, golden underside instead of a pale, limp one.

Season in layers

Salt the dough lightly before baking and finish with flaky salt after, so the seasoning reaches every surface.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the oven and pan

Preheat your oven to 425 F (220 C) and slide a rimmed sheet pan onto the middle rack for 5 minutes. A hot pan gives the bread sticks a head start on a crisp, golden bottom.

2. Make the garlic butter

In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, grated garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. It should smell sharp and garlicky, not sweet.

3. Stretch the dough

Lightly flour your counter and press the dough into a rough 10 by 8 inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. If it springs back, cover it with a towel for 5 minutes and try again.

4. Cut the sticks

Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 strips, roughly 1 inch wide. Press straight down rather than sawing so the edges stay clean and rise evenly.

5. Brush and top

Carefully pull out the hot pan, brush it with olive oil, and lay the sticks 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with about two-thirds of the garlic butter and sprinkle with Parmesan if using.

6. Bake until golden

Bake at 425 F (220 C) for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. They are done when the tops are deep golden brown and the edges sound crisp when tapped with a spoon.

7. Finish with butter and parsley

Brush the hot sticks with the remaining garlic butter and scatter the chopped parsley over the top. The butter will sizzle and soak in as they cool for 3 minutes.

8. Serve warm

Pile the sticks into a basket or serve them right on the pan with warm marinara for dipping. They are best within 20 minutes of coming out of the oven.

Delicious Variations

Cheesy Pull-Apart Sticks

Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella over the sticks in the last 5 minutes of baking for a gooey, stretchy top.

Herb and Lemon Zest

Add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary to the garlic butter for a bright, herby twist.

Spicy Honey Butter Sticks

Whisk 1 tablespoon of hot honey into the finishing butter and drizzle it over the baked sticks for a sweet-heat snack.

How to Store Easy Garlic Bread Stick Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

Grab that dough out of the fridge, crank the oven, and let the garlic butter do its thing. These bread sticks are the kind of thing that makes a Tuesday dinner feel like a treat, so make a double batch while you are at it. Taste as you go, then taste again.

Easy Garlic Bread Stick Recipe

This easy garlic bread stick recipe turns pizza dough into buttery, garlicky, golden sticks with crisp edges and a soft, pillowy center in 50 minutes.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

15 minPrep time20 minCook time6Servings285 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 1 lb (454 g) store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pan
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, optional
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) warm marinara or pizza sauce, for dipping
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, for brushing the dough

📋 Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven and pan — Preheat your oven to 425 F (220 C) and slide a rimmed sheet pan onto the middle rack for 5 minutes. A hot pan gives the bread sticks a head start on a crisp, golden bottom.
2. 2Make the garlic butter — In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, grated garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. It should smell sharp and garlicky, not sweet.
3. 3Stretch the dough — Lightly flour your counter and press the dough into a rough 10 by 8 inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. If it springs back, cover it with a towel for 5 minutes and try again.
4. 4Cut the sticks — Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 strips, roughly 1 inch wide. Press straight down rather than sawing so the edges stay clean and rise evenly.
5. 5Brush and top — Carefully pull out the hot pan, brush it with olive oil, and lay the sticks 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with about two-thirds of the garlic butter and sprinkle with Parmesan if using.
6. 6Bake until golden — Bake at 425 F (220 C) for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. They are done when the tops are deep golden brown and the edges sound crisp when tapped with a spoon.
7. 7Finish with butter and parsley — Brush the hot sticks with the remaining garlic butter and scatter the chopped parsley over the top. The butter will sizzle and soak in as they cool for 3 minutes.
8. 8Serve warm — Pile the sticks into a basket or serve them right on the pan with warm marinara for dipping. They are best within 20 minutes of coming out of the oven.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: If you want a softer, more pillowy stick, bake at 400 F (205 C) for 20 to 24 minutes instead. The lower heat gives the inside a little more time to puff before the crust sets.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: American-Italian

Course: Side Dish

Nutrition (per serving): 285 kcal · 7g protein · 30g carbs · 15g fat

Written by Priya Raghunathan

Priya writes about South Indian home cooking and the improvisation that happens in real kitchens, from quick weekday tiffins to slow weekend spreads. She is interested in how a single tempering of spices changes a dish and in adapting familiar recipes to what a cook has on hand. Her angle is playful, sensory recipe writing that treats cooking as something to tinker with.