Looking for a spooky side dish for Halloween? Look no further!
These Bones Breadsticks are perfect for Halloween, and are the perfect side dish! They pair perfectly with chili, soup and anything else you have on your Halloween menu!
Halloween Breadsticks shaped like bones are easy to make and topped with a garlic butter! Dip them in some “bloody dipping sauce” (pizza or marinara sauce) for a bloody bone! (too much??….never too much for Halloween!!)
The Bones Dough
Making yeast dough is easy!
Make sure you use Instant Yeast (also called Rapid Rise or Bread Machine yeast). Using this type of yeast makes any yeast dough recipe almost fail proof. You do not have to proof this yeast, but I still do!
This is the yeast I use! Look for it at your store!
Any brand of instant yeast, rapid rise yeast or bread machine yeast will work! Active dry yeast is a bit trickier to use if you have never used it before, so stick with the instant yeast!
To make the dough, use a stand mixer so it can do the hard work, and always use the dough hook.
Add your sugar to the bowl.
Then add your warm water. You don’t want it hot, just warm.
Next, add your instant yeast and give it a little stir.
Let it sit for a few minutes and it should get foamy and bubbly. This is ”proofing” and means your yeast is activated and your bread will rise! You do not have to proof your instant yeast, but I always do.
After the yeast is foamy, add your salt.
Then add 2 cup of flour and mix it all together on a low speed.
Your dough will start our wet and sticky. See photos below.
You will need to add more than 2 cups of flour. Add a little at a time until the dough pulls away from the mixing bowl and is only sticky when you touch it. See below the photo of the dough on the fingers…there is quite a bit left on the fingers after touching it…add a little more flour!
You will know you have added enough flour when it is cleaning the bowl as it mixes and when you touch it, only a little bit comes off on your hand! (see photos below). Let the dough mix on medium speed for a minute or two to knead the bread until smooth and soft. It should continue to clean the sides of the bowl as it kneads/mixes (see below).
Pour some oil (I use olive oil but any oil works) over the dough in the bowl and roll the dough into a ball and coat it with the oil so it is a greasy ball of dough.
Leave the dough in the mixing bowl.
Cover the bowl and dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it raise until doubled in size. I preheat my oven and put the bowl near the stove so it will rise faster.
***While the dough is rising line a half baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it.
Making the Bones
Making these Halloween Breadstick is so much fun! The dough is pretty forgiving so you can shape them how you like.
After the dough has doubled in size, place it on a lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces/balls. They don’t have to be exact, just estimate.
Take each piece of dough and roll it into a snake.
Then push each end down a bit so you have a ball of dough on each end.
Push your finger in the center of the ball and make it look like a bone shape.
You can also kind of ”tear” the ball of dough in half at each end to make the end of a bone.
Whichever way work best for you, do it to all 12 pieces. They don’t have to look perfect! (Mine certainly don’t!)
Lay the bones breadsticks on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Cover the bones breadsticks with a clean kitchen towel and let them raise again until doubled in size. About 45 minutes. If you place the pan close to your warm oven they will raise faster!
When they raise (and bake) they may squish into each other and that is ok!
Bake the breadsticks at 425 degrees F. Bake them until they are lightly golden brown on top.
The Garlic Butter Topping (make this while your bones bake)
Halloween Breadsticks need a buttery topping and I think they need some garlic too! For these bones I make a garlic butter spread that is perfect!
In a small dish add a half stick of softened/room temperature butter, garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder and parmesan cheese (the bottled kind work great).
Mix it all up so it is a thick butter spread. If you are having a hard time mixing it and it seems too dry, pop it in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds to soften it a bit. Don’t let it melt!
You can also try my Garlic Basil Parmesan Butter Spread on these breadsticks!
After the breadsticks are done baking, spread the garlic butter spread on top of the breadsticks.
I love to serve these Halloween Breadsticks with a store bought pizza sauce of marinara sauce so it looks likes a dish of blood to dip it in…sounds gross but kids LOVE it (and it tastes yummy)!
Your family and kids will love these Halloween breadsticks with the dipping sauce! They are perfect to eat with all of your yummy chili and soup or pasta and pizza!
If you love homemade bread recipes try my Valentines Day Heart Breadsticks, my regular everyday easy homemade breadsticks, Italian Cheese Bread, garlic knots, easy French Bread or my NO Fail Dinner Rolls.
If you liked this recipe please take the time to leave a comment and a star rating below! Also, don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram!
Check out the latest posts from the Butcher’s Wife!
- The Best Soft Pretzel Bites
- Candy Bar Muddy Buddies
- Peppermint Sugar Cookies
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Garlic Basil Parmesan Butter Spread
Bones Breadsticks
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water *about 110 degrees – doesn’t have to be exact, just not super hot
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp instant yeast (also called rapid rise or bread machine yeast)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour *add until the dough is just right- see notes
- 1 tsp olive oil or vegetable oil for after the dough is made *do not add to the dough it is rubbed on the dough for rising
Garlic Butter
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), softened to room temperature salted or unsalted, doesn’t matter
- 1/2 tbsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (plastic bottle kind)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
”Blood” Dipping Sauce
- 1 jar pizza sauce or marinara sauce *for dipping
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with the dough hook, add your white sugar to the mixing bowl.
- Next add your warm water and then your yeast. Give the yeast a little stir so it mixes in with the warm water and sugar. Let it sit for a few minutes until it is foamy and bubbly (this is the yeast proofing so you know the yeast is fresh and will work).
- After the yeast is foamy, add your salt and 2 cups of flour. Mix it on low-medium speed. The dough will be sticky and wet at this point.
- Slowly add in another cup of flour a little at a time until the dough is not as sticky and wet, pulls away from the mixing bowl and cleans the sides as it mixes. Feel the dough. It should be slightly sticky. Only a little bit should stick to your fingers but your fingers should come away mostly clean. See photo above.
- Once you have added enough flour, let the dough mix on medium speed to knead the dough for a few minutes or until the dough is soft and pretty smooth.
- After the dough has kneaded, leave the dough in the bowl (remove the dough hook and take the bowl off the mixing stand). Drizzle the oil on the dough and form it into a ball. Run the oil all over the dough. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size.*Preheat your oven and let the bowl sit near the oven to rise faster.
- Preheat your oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (I use a half sheet pan and it is the perfect size). Grease the pan if not using parchment paper.
- Make your garlic butter while the dough rises. Just add the butter, and seasonings to a small bowl and mix together. If the mixture seems too dry, put it in the micrwave for 10 seconds to soften the butter. Don’t let it melt. Set the butter aside so it is ready when the breadsticks come out of the oven.
- When the dough has doubled in size, place it on a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces/balls of dough.
- Take each ball of dough and roll it out into a snake, leaving a ball on each end. Then push your finger into the top of each ball making it look like a bone. (see photos above).Place each bone on your parchment lined or greased baking sheet.Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise again, until doubled in size.
- After the bones breadsticks have doubled in size, bake them in the oven for about 8 minutes. 8-10 minutes is all they should need. Check them around 8 minutes and let them bake until they are barely golden brown on top.
- Take the breadsticks out of the oven and brush the garlic butter on top.
- Serve with a side of “blood” pizza or marinara sauce if you want to be really fun!
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
