Pizzeria-Style Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks
These pull-apart cheesy breadsticks deliver the irresistible chew and golden crunch of your favorite delivery spot. We bake them on a cornmeal-dusted pan for a crispier bottom, then brush the hot crust edges with extra garlic butter and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt right as they come out of the oven.
- Total Time32 minutes
- Yield18 breadsticks 1x
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 1 lb (450g) pizza dough (store-bought or homemade), at room temperature for 1 hour
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (10g) cornmeal or semolina flour
Garlic Butter & Cheese Topping
- 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, melted and divided
- 3 large cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 oz (225g) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded (about 2 cups)
- ⅓ cup (30g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Finish
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat and prep the pan: Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C). Coat a 13×18-inch rimmed half-sheet pan with the olive oil, using your fingers to spread it evenly. Sprinkle the cornmeal uniformly over the oiled surface to prevent sticking and add crunch.
- Stretch the dough: Transfer the room-temperature pizza dough to the prepared pan. Gently stretch and press it out until it forms a 10×14-inch rectangle. If the dough strongly resists or snaps back, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes to relax the gluten, then try stretching again.
- Mix the garlic butter: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, grated garlic, and dried oregano.
- Top the breadsticks: Brush exactly two-thirds of the garlic butter mixture evenly over the surface of the stretched dough. Scatter the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese evenly over the top, taking it almost all the way to the edges.
- Bake: Bake on the lower rack for 12 to 14 minutes. The breadsticks are done when the cheese is bubbling and deeply golden-brown, and the bottom crust is crisp and firm.
- Finish and slice: Immediately upon removing the pan from the oven, brush the exposed crust edges with the remaining garlic butter. Scatter the fresh parsley and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt over the entire surface. Let the bread rest in the pan for 3 minutes before using a pizza cutter to slice it into 18 strips (cut in half lengthwise, then across into 9 rows). Serve warm.
Notes
- Why it works: Baking the dough on the lower-third rack at a slightly lower temperature (450°F instead of 500°F) gives the bottom crust enough time to crisp up and support the heavy cheese layer without scorching before the center cooks through.
- Shred your own cheese: Pre-shredded bagged cheeses are coated in anti-caking agents that prevent them from melting into a cohesive, stretchy blanket. For the classic “cheese pull,” take a minute to grate a block of low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella yourself.
Nutrition (per serving — estimates)
Calories: 139 | Total Carbs: 13g (Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g) | Fat: 7g (Saturated: 3g) | Protein: 6g
Nutritional values are approximate, based on standard reference data (USDA FoodData Central). Actual values vary by brand and exact measurements. For precision, use a tracker like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Resting Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 breadstick
- Calories: 139
- Sugar: 1g
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g