Grissini breadsticks
Grissini are thin, crisp breadsticks from the Turin area of Italy, often set out on the table to nibble before the meal. They have a gentle olive oil flavor, shatter when you bite them and are perfect for wrapping with prosciutto or dipping into sauces.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rising or chilling
- 1 hr
- Total time
- 1 hr 55 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Dough
Topping
Instructions
Step 1
Put 300 g bread flour, 3 g instant yeast and 3 g granulated sugar in a bowl, pour in 170 g warm water and 30 g olive oil and stir, then sprinkle in 6 g salt last. The olive oil in the dough makes the breadsticks crunchy rather than chewy. The dough is ready when it comes together into a ball with no streaks of dry flour.
Step 2
Knead the dough for about eight minutes, until smooth and nicely elastic. Strong gluten lets you stretch the dough into long sticks without it tearing. It is ready when the surface is smooth, the dough is soft and it springs back slightly when you pull it.
Step 3
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover tightly and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour. The dough only needs a moderate rise so the sticks have a light, airy crumb. It is ready when it has grown to about one and a half times its size.
Step 4
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200°C. A moderate temperature dries the sticks crisp all the way through without burning the ends. The oven is ready when the heating light switches off.
Step 5
Press the dough into a rectangle about one centimeter thick on a counter brushed with a little to taste olive oil, then cut it crosswise into thirty thin strips with a knife. Cutting strips first makes the sticks even in size so they bake at the same rate. The strips are ready when they are about one centimeter wide and separate easily.
Step 6
Roll each strip under your palms, pushing from the center out to the ends to stretch it into a stick about 25 cm long, then roll it in 20 g white sesame seeds and sprinkle with a pinch flaky sea salt if you like. Rolling from the center outward keeps the sticks even, without bulging ends. They are ready when they are about as thick as a pencil and set about two centimeters apart on the baking sheets.
Step 7
Bake at 200°C for about 15 to 20 minutes, swapping the positions of the two sheets halfway through. Swapping the sheets lets every stick get even heat and the same color. They are done when they are an even golden brown and a test stick snaps crisply.
Step 8
Move the breadsticks to a rack and let them cool completely for about twenty minutes. As they cool, the remaining moisture escapes and they turn even crisper. They are ready when they feel dry to the touch and snap cleanly without bending.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Bench scraper
- Kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl
- Pastry brush
Tips
- Mix finely chopped rosemary or grated Parmesan into the dough for extra flavor.
- If the breadsticks are still soft in the center after cooling, turn off the oven and leave them inside with the door ajar for ten more minutes.
- Thin sticks are crisper and thicker ones have a softer center, so choose whichever you prefer.
Storage
Let the breadsticks cool completely, then store them in an airtight container, where they stay crisp for about a week at room temperature. If they go soft, re-crisp them at 160°C for about five minutes.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The breadsticks are bent and puff up unevenly.
- The sticks were rolled unevenly or the dough rose too long. Roll them more carefully and put them in the oven right after shaping.
- The breadsticks are chewy instead of crisp.
- The sticks were too thick or weren't baked long enough. Roll them thinner and extend the baking time by a few minutes.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
