Grissini (Italian Breadsticks)
When I was younger one surefire sign that we were at a fancy restaurant was the presence of grissini, or long, thin, and crunchy breadsticks (in contrast to the chewy and doughy kind). They would be brought to the table in a tall thin glass and I would make a pile of crumbs while snapping them apart.
These grissini remind me of these thin and crispy crackers I used to snack on at home. A very satisfying crunch with lots of wonderful flavors. The butter and olive oil in the dough give the grissini enough fantastic taste that you shouldn’t feel the need to make additions. I threw the Italian kitchen sink into them, adding rosemary, garlic powder, pepper, oregano, and parmesan.
The recipe comes from , a fantastic resource and recipe guide that I have not nearly used enough since I bought it over a year ago (the other loaf I’ve posted about from the book). With an entire Lazy Sunday Loaf in the freezer I didn’t need to make a big bread this weekend so the grissini presented a quick and tasty alternative.
They were easy to roll out, baked up nicely, and made for a good snack after going to the gym yesterday afternoon. I enjoyed the pretzel sticks I made a while ago but I think I much prefer the grissini as a snack item or bread substitute at dinner. I hope you’ll give the recipe a try and enjoy them as much as I did!
- 4 cups + 2 tablespoons bread flour
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 3½ tablespoons butter, diced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for 7-8 minutes. The dough will be soft, clear the sides of the bowl, and be fairly stretchable.
- Turn dough out onto an unfloured surface and divide into 24 equal pieces. If you have a scale, each piece should be about 1.3 ounces. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or baking mats. Lightly dust with semolina flour.
- Roll out each dough piece to a long thin shape, about 14-16 inches long. Transfer to baking sheets and roll in semolina flour. Allow enough space for breadsticks to expand slightly. Depending on size of baking sheets you may need to bake in multiple batches.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.
