Grissini Breadsticks

Before you start

Grissini are thin, dry breadsticks from Piedmont, meant to snap rather than bend. They belong on an antipasti board, wrapped in prosciutto or stood in a glass next to soup. The dough is simple: flour, water, yeast, salt and a generous splash of olive oil, which makes the finished sticks crisp and short rather than hard.

The skill is in the stretching. Cut the dough into strips and pull each one gently to the length of your baking sheet, accepting a little unevenness; that rustic look is part of the charm. Bake them slowly enough to dry all the way through. A grissino that is brown outside but chewy in the center will turn soft within hours.

Ingredients

• Dough250 g (2 cups + 1 tbsp) bread flour or Italian 00 flour
• 5 g (scant 1 tsp) fine salt
• 3 g (1 tsp) instant yeast
• 140 ml (½ cup + 1 tbsp) lukewarm water
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil — plus 1 tbsp for brushing
• Coating40 g (¼ cup) fine semolina — for rolling
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, flaky salt or grated Parmesan — optional

Method

1. Mix the flour, salt and yeast. Add the water and olive oil and knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and supple. It should be firm and not sticky.
2. Shape into a flat rectangle, brush with a little oil, cover and let it rise for about 1 hour, until puffy but not necessarily doubled.
3. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
4. Scatter the semolina over the counter. Press and roll the dough into a rectangle about 24 x 20 cm (9½ x 8 in) and 1 cm (⅜ in) thick. Brush the top lightly with oil and sprinkle with any seeds or cheese, pressing them in.
5. Cut the dough crosswise into 24 strips about 1 cm wide.
6. Pick up a strip by both ends and stretch it gently while lowering it onto the sheet, until it is about 30 cm (12 in) long and pencil thin. Roll it under your fingertips if it is uneven. Place the sticks about 1.5 cm (½ in) apart, 12 per sheet.
7. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 16 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway, until golden all over. Break one in half; the center should be dry and crisp, not bready.
8. Cool on a rack. They crisp up further as they cool, within about 15 minutes.

Tips for success

• Thinner sticks bake faster. If your sticks vary, pull out the thin ones as they brown and give the thick ones a few more minutes.
• Semolina on the counter keeps the dough from sticking and gives the grissini a light crunch.
• Twist each strip a few times as you stretch it for a spiraled breadstick that holds seeds well.

Substitutions

Bread flour or 00 flour

All-purpose flour works with 10 ml (2 tsp) less water. The sticks are slightly more tender and less snappy.

Semolina

Cornmeal or plain flour. Cornmeal adds more crunch; flour gives a smoother finish.

Olive oil

A neutral oil works, but you lose the fruity flavor that suits Italian antipasti.

Variations

Rosemary and sea salt

Knead 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary into the dough and sprinkle the sticks with flaky salt before baking.

Black pepper and Pecorino

Add 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper to the dough and roll the strips in 30 g grated Pecorino before stretching.

Troubleshooting

The breadsticks went soft after a few hours

They were not dried through. Bake longer at the same temperature or return them to a 150°C (300°F) oven for 10 minutes.

Dough snaps back when stretched

The gluten is tight. Cover the strips and let them rest 5 to 10 minutes before stretching.

Ends burn before the middle is crisp

The ends are thinner. Stretch more evenly and rotate the sheet halfway through baking.

Storage

Store completely cooled grissini in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 1 week. If they lose their snap, re-crisp them at 150°C (300°F) for 5 to 8 minutes.

Safety notes

Raw dough contains uncooked flour and should not be tasted. Contains wheat; check toppings for sesame or milk allergens.