Cheesy Breadsticks

By Ali Slagle

Published Feb. 26, 2025

Cheesy Breadsticks
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(277)
Comments
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While cheesy breadsticks made with pizza dough are a classic appetizer at pizza chains, making them at home doesn’t require much effort — and guarantees you can enjoy them when the cheese is as ooey-gooey as can be. These are baked in a metal pan to ensure a soft interior with a crisp crust. They’re topped with a swipe of garlic-herb butter and a shower of mozzarella and Parmesan for a thick layer of melted cheese in every bite. For that true pizzeria experience, be sure to dip your breadsticks in marinara, ranch or a combination of the two.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 24 breadsticks
  • Neutral-tasting oil, for greasing
  • 1pound store-bought or homemade pizza dough, at room temperature
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 3garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Salt
  • 8ounces (2 cups) grated, low-moisture mozzarella
  • ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan
  • Marinara sauce or ranch dressing or both, for dipping
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat to 450 degrees. Use your hands to grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch metal pan with oil. With your oiled hands, add the pizza dough and stretch the dough out until it reaches the sides of the pan. If the dough retracts, let it rest a few minutes before trying again.

  2. Step 2

    To the melted butter, add the garlic, Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Pour the butter on top of the pizza dough, and spread edge to edge. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella and Parmesan, making sure to cover the edges of the dough. (The bits that touch the pan will crisp.)

  3. Step 3

    Bake the pizza on the bottom rack until golden on the top and bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Run a spatula along the sides of the pizza to help release it from the pan, then slide the bread onto a cutting board. With a knife, pizza wheel or scissors, cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into roughly 1-inch breadsticks. Serve with marinara sauce or ranch dressing, or both, for dipping.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
277 user ratings
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Comments

Rebecca

I used a well-seasoned iron skillet rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with cornmeal. Perfection.

Margaret

Also hopped on the cast iron skillet train (12" is about the same surface area as a 9x13" pan) and added cornmeal to the olive oil as another commenter suggested. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Ate it with a friend alongside a green salad and a bottle of wine, and it was SUCH a mood booster for both of us. No complaints.

Meg

If it seems like way too much cheese... it's exactly enough cheese. Easy, cheesy, delicious!

A.Bru

Made a sourdough discard pizza dough to make these with, so so good

kiki

i can’t seem to get the cheese to be the melty, gooey, delicious texture i desire. i grated the low-moisture mozzarella cheese from a block. it never turned “golden”, but instead became crusty and dry, and crunchy. help!

Junie

Underwhelming.

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