Bone-Appétit Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks
These little breadstick bones started as a party idea and ended up being one of those things I would absolutely make again even without the dog theme.
Kent’s birthday dinner was Italian chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans, so I wanted a breadstick that fit the meal but still tied into his Scrappy Dappy Pawty.
The answer was refrigerated pizza dough.
I know. Not exactly revolutionary.
But on party day, I had balloons, signs, custom plates, desserts, a missing-presents mystery and a small dog supervising the entire operation. I did not need to prove anything by making bread dough from scratch.
And honestly, these turned out really cute.
The trick is simply shaping each piece into a short rope and cutting the ends so they look like little dog bones. Once baked, I brushed them with garlic butter and sprinkled them with Parmesan.
Easy.
Themed.
And still something people actually wanted to eat.
Bone-Appétit Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks
Ingredients
- 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or grated
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unroll the pizza dough and divide it into evenly sized pieces.
Roll each piece into a short rope.
At one end of the rope, use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to make a small lengthwise cut through the end of the dough. Gently pull the two sections apart and round them slightly with your fingers.
Repeat on the other end.
Do not make the center section too thin or it will bake faster than the ends.
Place the shaped breadsticks onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 10 to 13 minutes, or until lightly golden.
While the breadsticks bake, stir together the melted butter, garlic, garlic salt and parsley.
As soon as the breadsticks come out of the oven, brush them generously with the garlic butter mixture.
Sprinkle immediately with Parmesan so it sticks to the warm butter.
Serve warm.
A Few Tips
You do not need to let refrigerated pizza dough rise before baking these.
Try not to make the breadsticks too skinny. A slightly thicker center keeps them soft inside and helps the bone shape stay recognizable.
Jarred grated Parmesan works perfectly well here, especially for sprinkling over the hot buttered breadsticks.
And if you are making them for a party, you can shape them ahead of time, keep them chilled on the baking sheet, and bake them closer to dinner.
Why I’d Make Them Again
These were made for Kent’s Scrappy Dappy Pawty, but they would also be fun for a puppy-themed birthday, Halloween dinner, movie night, or honestly just because somebody thinks eating bread shaped like a bone is funny.
Which, in this house, is reason enough.
You can see the whole Scrappy Dappy Pawty here, including the decorations, birthday dinner and the missing-presents mystery.
Recipe Card
Bone-Appétit Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 10–13 minutes
Servings: about 8 breadsticks, depending on size
Ingredients
- 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or grated
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Divide pizza dough into pieces and roll each into a short rope.
- Cut each end lengthwise and gently separate the sections to form a bone shape.
- Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 10–13 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Combine melted butter, garlic, garlic salt and parsley.
- Brush hot breadsticks with garlic butter.
- Sprinkle immediately with Parmesan.
- Serve warm.
