Fluffy Homemade Breadstick Twists

Whip up these easy homemade breadstick twists for a soft, fluffy, and buttery side that pairs perfectly with pasta or soup. This simple breadstick recipe uses basic pantry ingredients and delivers restaurant-quality flavor straight from your oven.

Easy Homemade Breadstick Twists Recipe

I have four boys, which means that I am always making hearty meals that can satisfy enormous appetites. One of my tricks to temporarily fill my kids’ bellies is to serve any type of roll or breadstick with meals and these easy breadsticks are always a family favorite. With just a few simple ingredients I already have in the pantry, I can have a batch rising while soup or stew simmers on the stove. They come out warm, soft, buttery-perfect for soaking up every last bit of dinner.

There’s something so comforting about the smell of fresh bread baking while my kids are finishing up chores or schoolwork. Whether it’s a weeknight meal or Sunday supper, these breadsticks make it feel special without a lot of fuss.

The Cowboys’ Rating: 10/10

Every time I make a new recipe, I have my family rate the recipe out of 10. By the time, these recipes make the blog, they’ve been tried and tested by some of my hardest tiny critics!

What Ingredients Are in Easy Homemade Breadstick Twists?

• Bread Flour or All-Purpose Flour – For years I used all-purpose flour, and this recipe turned out beautifully. Recently, I have been experimenting with bread flour, and I haven’t really noticed any difference. You can use either for this bread recipe.
• Yeast – The yeast that I use for this homemade bread recipe is active dry yeast.
• Warm Water – I don’t ever check the temperature of the water (because who has time for that), but just make sure it’s lukewarm water so that it activates the yeast.
• Egg – The egg helps bind the dough together and makes the bread soft and fluffy.
• White Sugar – Sugar helps the texture and flavor of bread. Additionally, it also helps bread rise so it has a fluffier consistency.
• Butter Flavored Shortening or Salted Butter – 9/10 I will use butter flavored shortening. The major difference between shortening and butter in bread is the textures they create. Butter creates bread has a denser texture whereas shortening has a more tender and crumbly texture. Either will work in this recipe.
• Salt – Salt is very important for bread. It has a few roles in making homemade bread turn out. First, it helps to control the rate of yeast fermentation which is very important. Additionally, it strengthens the gluten in the bread. And finally, it helps with taste! If you have every tried bread that the salt has been left out of, it is not good!
• Nonfat Dry Milk – I have always used nonfat dry milk instead of regular milk in bread recipes. I swear by it. I think that it gives the bread a better, fluffier consistency.

Tools You’ll Need

• I always use my KitchenAid to make bread, but you can use a Large Mixing Bowl with a Danish Dough Hook
• Measuring Cups & Spoons
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Spatula
• Bread Scraper
• 2 18 x 13″ Large Baking Sheet Pan
• Flour Sack Dish Towels to cover dough

How to Make Homemade Breadstick Twists

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine warm water, yeast and 1 tbsp sugar together. Gently combine then set aside and let sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
3. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, sugar, nonfat dry milk, and salt and mix until well combined.
4. Add in shortening and work into the dry ingredients until it is crumbly in appearance.
5. Add water and yeast mixture along with egg to the dry ingredients and begin mixing.
6. Gradually add flour one cup at a time to form a soft dough. Once all flour has been added, continue kneading or mixing for another 2-3 minutes. When done, the dough should be slightly sticky to the touch.
7. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise until double in size (about an hour).
8. Once dough has risen, generously flour a surface on the counter and scape the dough out of the bowl and onto the floured surface.
9. Knead a few times, then set aside.
10. Generously spray two large baking sheet pans with cooking spray and set aside.
11. Pinch off a palm-sized piece of dough and roll it into a long, thin rope. Fold the rope in half, then gently twist the two ends together to form a spiral, and place on a baking sheet.
12. Repeat this process until all breadsticks have been made.
13. Bake for 8-10 minutes until breadsticks are golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool.
14. Serve and enjoy!

Storage and Freezing

I store my breadsticks in a gallon Ziploc bag on the counter. It never lasts more than a day, so I don’t usually store it in the fridge. However, if you don’t eat breadsticks like little chowhounds like my family does, you can store it in a Ziploc bag and place it in the fridge. It will last up to 7 days.

These breadstick twists can also be frozen. Place the breadstick twists in a large Ziploc bag. Make sure to press out as much of the air as possible. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To thaw out the breadsticks, I just take it out of the freezer and let is thaw on the counter still in the bag. As it comes to room temperature, it absorbs the moisture in the bag and is perfectly moist and delicious.