Whole Wheat Breadsticks Recipe

This easy whole wheat breadsticks recipe uses simple pantry ingredients to make crispy, garlicky sticks great for dipping in pasta sauce or serving with soup.

This whole wheat breadstick recipe makes soft, golden sticks with a light garlic and Parmesan topping, using a simple hand-kneaded yeast dough made with white whole wheat flour. Each batch bakes in about 10 minutes at 400°F and makes 12 breadsticks, good for dipping in pasta sauce or serving alongside soup.

This crispy whole wheat breadsticks recipe comes together with pantry staples and about an hour of rise time, and you don’t need a stand mixer if you don’t have one. It’s a good pick when you want something warm to go with dinner without a long ingredient list. One detail worth knowing: add the flour gradually, since white whole wheat flour can absorb liquid a little differently than all-purpose flour.

Why You’ll Love This Whole Wheat Breadsticks Recipe

• Made with basic pantry ingredients: yeast, flour, oil, and a few pantry seasonings
• Ready to shape in about an hour, with just 10 minutes in the oven
• Works two ways, kneaded by hand or mixed in a bread machine on the dough setting
• Freezer-friendly, so you can bake a batch now and save extras for later
• Milder in flavor and lighter in color than regular whole wheat bread, thanks to white whole wheat flour

What Ingredients Do You Need for Whole Wheat Breadsticks?

Ingredient Group	Ingredient	Exact Amount	Purpose or Note
Dough	Warm water	1 cup (about 100°F)	Activates the yeast without killing it
Dough	Dry yeast	1 packet	Leavens the dough so it rises
Dough	White whole wheat flour	2.5-3 cups	Builds the dough’s structure; start on the lower end and add more if the dough feels too wet
Dough	Olive oil	1 tablespoon	Adds moisture and helps the dough turn elastic
Dough	Brown sugar	1/2 teaspoon	Feeds the yeast and adds a faint sweetness
Dough	Salt	Dash	Balances the flavor
Topping	Garlic powder	Dash	Adds savory flavor to the tops
Topping	Vegetable oil spray	As needed	Helps the garlic powder and cheese stick to the dough
Topping	Parmesan cheese, grated	A little, to taste	Adds a savory, salty finish, per the baking instructions

White whole wheat flour gives these breadsticks a lighter color and milder taste than regular whole wheat flour, while still keeping the fiber of a whole grain. The small amount of brown sugar feeds the yeast and adds a faint sweetness that balances the garlic and Parmesan topping. Olive oil keeps the dough moist enough to knead into a smooth, elastic texture.

How to Make Whole Wheat Breadsticks Step by Step

1. Mix the warm water and yeast together until the yeast dissolves. Add the flour, olive oil, brown sugar, and salt, then knead well by hand or in a mixing machine until the dough turns very elastic.

Pro Tip: A mixer’s paddle attachment works better than the dough hook for this dough, since a home dough hook is often too thin and can tear the dough apart.

2. Add a little more flour if the dough feels too wet. Cover the dough and let it rise for about 1 hour.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and divide it into 12 small sections, then roll each section into a rope about the size of a large thumb.
4. Arrange the ropes on a baking pan. Lightly spray the tops with vegetable oil cooking spray, then sprinkle with garlic powder and a little grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F.

Pro Tip: White whole wheat flour is usually stocked in the baking aisle, often from King Arthur, and it’s also available online if your store doesn’t carry it.

5. Serve the breadsticks warm with a salt-free tomato or pasta sauce, or keep them at room temperature until you’re ready to serve. You can also wrap and freeze them for later.

Bread Machine Directions

6. Place the water, flour, yeast, olive oil, and brown sugar in a bread machine and run the dough setting to mix the dough. Let it rise until doubled in size, about 40 to 50 minutes, then continue with shaping, topping, and baking as in steps 3 and 4 above.

Tips, Variations, and Troubleshooting for Whole Wheat Breadsticks

Pro Tips for Success

The key to a good rise is thorough kneading. Keep mixing until the dough feels smooth and stretchy rather than shaggy or dry, since that’s the elastic texture the recipe calls for.

For the best rise, cover the dough and let it sit for the full hour in a spot free from drafts, rather than cutting the rise time short.

Roll each of the 12 pieces to roughly the same size, about a large thumb, so they all bake evenly in the same 10 minutes.

If you can’t find white whole wheat flour, you can substitute a half-and-half blend of all-purpose flour and regular whole wheat flour instead.

Variations

Half whole wheat, half all-purpose flour (optional): Swap the white whole wheat flour for a half-and-half mix of all-purpose flour and regular whole wheat flour. This keeps the dough workable while still adding some whole grain to the breadsticks.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Problem: The dough feels too wet or sticky after kneading.

Solution: Work in a little more flour at a time until the dough turns smooth and very elastic, rather than adding it all at once.

Problem: The dough tears apart instead of coming together smoothly.

Solution: Switch to your mixer’s paddle attachment instead of the dough hook, since a thin home dough hook can tear this dough rather than developing it.

How to Store and Reheat Whole Wheat Breadsticks

Storage Method	Duration	Best Practice
Room temperature	3 to 5 days	Keep in a sealed container or bag; refrigerating fresh bread actually speeds up staling
Freezer	Up to 3 months	Wrap well to prevent drying out, then thaw at room temperature

These storage times come from Ohio State University Extension’s food storage guidelines for fresh bread, since the recipe itself doesn’t specify exact storage times.

To help bring back a freshly baked texture, warm the breadsticks in the oven rather than the microwave, since the microwave tends to make bread chewy instead of crisp. Thaw frozen breadsticks at room temperature before reheating. Leftover breadsticks are also good torn into pieces for dipping into soup, so little goes to waste.

FAQs About Whole Wheat Breadsticks Recipe

Give This Whole Wheat Breadsticks Recipe a Try

These breadsticks are a solid way to get warm bread on the table without much fuss, whether it’s a weeknight pasta dinner or a bowl of soup. Give the recipe a try, and let us know in the comments how your dough turned out or any small changes you made.

If you’re the type who saves recipes for later, this one is worth pinning to a bread or dinner-side board. And if you enjoy trying different bread styles, our egg white bread recipe is another good one to bake next, along with our Hawaiian bread French toast bake for using up extra bread on hand.

This whole wheat breadsticks recipe turns basic pantry ingredients into golden, garlic-topped sticks with a soft center. Knead the dough by hand or use your bread machine, then bake in just 10 minutes. Save this pin for your next pasta night or bowl of soup.