Garlic Parmesan Bread Bites

Served with marinara for dipping, these simple parmesan bread bites with lots of garlic are the perfect appetizer or side dish to serve alongside pizza, pasta, or salad.

Jessica Halverstadt is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you are a fan of breadsticks you are going to love these parmesan bread bites because they are essentially the same thing, just cut up into bite-size pieces. However, topped with lots of garlic, spices, and of course, Parmesan cheese they are a step above your standard breadsticks.

---

What you’ll love about this recipe

---

• It’s fun! These garlic bread bites are a fun way to enjoy breadsticks and great for sharing with a crowd espeially with children. There’s something about bite sized servings that kids just adore.
• It’s relatively simple! While they do require a bit of time since the dough has to rise twice, the prep is quite easy and the hands-on time required is just 15-minutes.
• It’s inexpensive! As you may have guessed the main ingredient is flour which is super affordable. Aside from that, you’ll need some water, a little bit of yeast, butter, and salt for the dough – most likely items you already have on hand. And while Parmesan can be a little more pricey, you only need a fourth of cup.

---

Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)

---

• Water: To activate the yeast the water needs to be around 105-110 degrees. I typically use a kitchen thermometer to gauge the temperature. If you don’t have one, simply test it with your finger. To touch, it should feel like a nice warm bath.
• Active-dry yeast: I used active-dry yeast because that’s what I had on hand but you could certainly use instant yeast. See the FAQ section below for directions.
• Unsalted butter: As always, unsalted butter is preferred when baking. If all you have is salted butter that’ll work. Since the recipe doesn’t call for much butter anyway, it won’t make much of a difference. It will need to be melted but make sure it’s not piping hot when you add it.
• Kosher salt: There is a small amount of salt incorporated into the dough and some sprinkled on top.
• Flour: Either bread flour or all-purpose.
• Garlic: I like to use lots of garlic because garlic is AMAZING!!! Feel free to use as much or little as you please. If you don’t have any fresh garlic, you could sprinkle on some garlic powder instead.
• Dried parsley: For a little bit of herby goodness.
• Red pepper flakes: These are optional but recommended if you like a little spice. Since I serve these to my family, I usually only add red pepper flakes to a portion of them.
• Parmesan cheese: Do yourself a favor and skip the bottled stuff. If you are a vegetarian or serving these to a vegetarian, keep in mind that real Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian-friendly. Make sure to check the label.

---

How to make garlic parmesan bread bites (+ tips)

---

1. In the bowl of a stand-up mixer or in a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand, add the warm water followed by the yeast. Allow to proof for ten minutes until there is a foamy layer on top – see the FAQ section below if you run into any trouble.

2. Fit the stand-up mixer with a dough hook. At low speed, mix in the butter and salt.

Continue mixing while gradually adding the flour. Mix for 7-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

If preparing sans without a stand-up mixer: Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto a flat surface. Knead the dough for six to eight minutes allowing the dough to rest for five minutes at the midway point. Resting the dough allows it to absorb more of the liquid resulting in a dough that is much easier to work with. To avoid the dough sticking to your hands, you may want to coat them with a small amount of oil or water before kneading. The dough should end up smooth and elastic.

3. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm location for about one hour or until doubled in size.

4. Preheat over to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

5. Punch the dough down then transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead it several times. Flatten it out with your hands or use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into 1-inch strips then cut the dough strips into 1-inch pieces. Transfer the dough bites to the baking sheet, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and allow to rise a second time for about one hour or until doubled in size.

6. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.

7. Brush half of the butter atop the bread bites then sprinkle with the minced garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes (optional) and bake for 12-14 minutes until slightly golden brown.

8. Stir the parsley into the remaining butter.

9. Transfer the bread bites to a wire cooling rack and immediately brush with the remaining butter and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Rest for five minutes then serve warm with marinara for dipping.

---

Storage

---

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.

---

FAQ

---

---

Recommended Products

---

---

What to serve with these bread bites?

---

• A pizza like this pepperoni flatbread pizza.
• A green salad like this blackened chicken Caesar salad, an Italian salad, or this spinach caprese salad.
• Cozy soups like this chicken and noodle soup, potato soup, beef stew, or tomato soup.
• Pasta!!!

If you make these garlic parmesan bread bites I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light, and happy cooking ya’ll ♥