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Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks are the best gooey homemade breadsticks recipe! These are better than anything you’ll get at the local pizzeria – they’re soft and cheesy and full of garlic flavor. This homemade cheesy garlic breadsticks recipe is a keeper.

A rectangular cheese bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cut into strips. The bread is topped with melted cheese and garnished with parsley. A small cup of marinara sauce is on the side.

Guys, here’s something (not so) shocking: I love bread. All kinds of bread. Cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, buttery garlic bread, pizza dough… and breadsticks. I especially love breadsticks when they’re covered with cheese. It’s so easy to make these at home from scratch – no store-bought dough in sight. The yeast dough is basically a homemade pizza dough recipe covered in garlic, a bit of olive oil, ranch seasoning and lots and lots of cheese. Skip Pizza Hut and make bread sticks at HOME!

ingredients needed for breadstick dough

How to make Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

  1. All-Purpose Flour – while you could use bread flour, I find I prefer using all purpose because I always have it in my kitchen. Be sure to read the instructions: we start with 2 cups but will add more as we’re mixing.
  2. RapidRise Yeast – This is also known as INSTANT yeast. This recipe is written for this type of yeast so be sure to get instant – different brands have different names but they’ll all say “instant” on the package. Instant makes life easier – no second rise. The dough only has to rest for 10 minutes!
  3. Sugar – Granulated sugar is not for sweetness; it helps to activate the yeast.
  4. Water – You want your water between 120°F and 130°F. It helps if you have an instant read thermometer so that your yeast activates properly.
  5. Once you have the dough we’ll brush the top of the breadsticks with garlicky ranch olive oil and tons of shredded mozzarella cheese (add parmesan cheese if you want!)
A person is pulling apart a piece of cheesy bread topped with melted mozzarella and garnished with herbs. The bread is on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The cheese is stretching as the piece is lifted. A small sauce cup is visible in the background.

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Variations & Serving Suggestions

  • You could brush the dough with melted butter instead of olive oil.
  • Use other shredded cheeses instead of mozzarella.
  • Skip the ranch seasoning and use salt, ground black pepper and a teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
  • Feel free to use refrigerated pizza crust instead of homemade dough to make your life easier.
  • These are perfect alone, dipped in soup, as a side dish to a salad, or as an appetizer dipped in marinara sauce or Alfredo sauce.
A rectangular cheesy bread topped with melted cheese and sprinkled with parsley is sliced into pieces on a baking sheet. A small bowl of marinara sauce is placed in the background.

Pro Tips & Storing Easy Cheesy Breadsticks

  • Use fresh garlic for the best taste. You can use garlic powder in a pinch but fresh is best.
  • A mixer will shorten the time needed to make these but you can do them by hand easily. Stir until you get a shaggy dough, then get your hands in there – it’s simple.
  • If you’re using instant yeast the water temperature should be between 120-130°F.
  • Use a pizza cutter to slice the breadsticks.
  • The breadsticks are done baking when they’re golden brown.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I’ve also frozen these (baked and unbaked). Thaw to bake. Thaw and reheat baked breadsticks in the air fryer!
A rectangular cheese bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cut into strips. The bread is topped with melted cheese and garnished with parsley. A small cup of marinara sauce is on the side.

Cheesy Ranch Breadsticks

4.84 from 6 votes
Cheesy Ranch Breadsticks are the perfect side dish for any meal. They’re a homemade breadstick topped with ranch and lots of cheese! 
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rest Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Yield 12 servings
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

For the Breadstick Dough:

  • 3 ¼ cups (403g) all-purpose flour (you'll start with 2 cups and add more when mixing)
  • 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) Instant Yeast (RapidRise if using Fleischmann's Yeast)
  • 1 tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 ⅓ cups (316ml) very warm water (between 120°-130°F) (think hot bathwater)
  • ⅓ cup (79ml) olive oil

For the Topping:

  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning mix
  • 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
  • Pizza Sauce, for dipping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • You can use a wooden spoon and do it by hand or use an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Combine 2 cups flour, undissolved Instant Yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water and ⅓ cup oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. 
  • Slowly add enough flour to make a soft dough. Dough will form a ball and be slightly sticky.
  • Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough, adding additional flour as necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic. This will take just a minute if you used an electric mixer, about 4 minutes if you’re doing it by hand. (To knead the dough, add just enough flour to keep your hands from sticking. Flatten the dough and roll it towards you; using the heels of your hands push it away in a rolling motion. Rotate and repeat until a soft and elastic dough ball forms.
  • Drizzle the bottom of a pan with a bit of olive oil. Pat dough with floured hands to fit a pizza pan or baking sheet to desired thinness.
  • Stir together 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and ranch seasoning mix. Brush all over dough. Top with cheese. Bake 15-25 minutes or until golden and cheese is melty. Baking time will vary depending on how thick or thin you roll your dough.
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Recipe Notes

If you don’t have a thermometer to test the water, think hot bathwater. The water should be very warm to the touch.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 474mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Cheesy-Ranch-Breadsticks-3.jpg
thermometer testing the water
breadstick dough in a ball with hands
brushing dough with ranch mix

Step-by-Step Photos

  1. Since we are starting with RapidRise Yeast, we’re going to mix the dry ingredienst together. Start with 2 cups flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Whisk.
  2. Mix in the olive oil.
  3. Now we need to heat our water – be sure it’s between 120-130°F.
  4. Add the water into the mixer.
  5. Once you’ve added the oil and water, let the mixer run until a soft dough forms. It will be slightly sticky.
  6. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it forms a smooth ball.
  7. You’ll know the kneading process is done when the dough springs back when pressed with 2 fingers. Once it sits 10 minutes to allow the RapidRise Yeast to work its magic, it’s time to make breadsticks!
  8. Mix together olive oil and ranch seasoning.
  9. Simply oil a pan and press the dough into a rectangle. You can make these any thickness you like, using a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Brush with ranch oil and top with shredded cheese. Then bake until golden.

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.84 from 6 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. I made these with garlic oil in the topping mix. I had some left over from frying up some some garlic crisps and the flavour was outta this world. I had a fresh herb and tomato topping instead of a pizza sauce dip and called it dinner.

    Reply

  2. I followed the recipe and the ranch wasn’t strong enough to make it taste like ranch cheese sticks. My kids weren’t real thrilled with these. They were easy though so I might try this recipe again and change a few things.

    Reply