Grissini (Italian Breadsticks)


Grissini are crispy Italian breadsticks made with only a handful of straightforward elements. They’re nice as a snack or as a facet! My grissini recipe makes use of immediate yeast and Italian herbs, they usually bake up crunchy and golden.

In the event you’re simply getting the grasp of do-it-yourself bread dough, this breadstick recipe may be very beginner-friendly! Additionally, do this do-it-yourself focaccia and these straightforward Macedonian gevrek (sesame bagels).

Close-up of golden-baked grissini breadsticks.Close-up of golden-baked grissini breadsticks.

 

Grissini is the proper pre-dinner snack with a cheese plate and a glass of wine or a bellini cocktail. However who am I kidding? I’ll gladly eat a platter of those crispy Italian breadsticks with a bowl of olives as the final word woman dinner when my husband and youngsters are out. Skinny, crispy grissini breadsticks are golden and crunchy on the surface, slightly mushy within the middle, and significantly addictive. Glad snacking to us!

Why I Love These Grissini Breadsticks

  • One bowl. So far as yeasted bread recipes go, the dough for grissini is tremendous easy. The breadstick dough comes collectively in a single bowl, adopted by a little bit of rising time. 
  • Versatile. Grissini makes the proper gentle snack or straightforward facet dish for almost any meal. Serve them aperitivo-style with a plate of nibbles like olives, cured meats, cheese, and spiced nuts at comfortable hour. Or, dunk these crispy breadsticks into dips, like hummus, and soups or stews.
  • Customizable. I taste my grissini with a sprinkle of Italian herbs earlier than they go into the oven, however topping these breadsticks with garlic butter, cracked black pepper, or parmesan can be simply as scrumptious. 
Grissini partially wrapped in a cloth inside a bread bowl.Grissini partially wrapped in a cloth inside a bread bowl.

What Are Grissini?

Grissini is Italian for breadsticks! Conventional grissini are crispy, pencil-thin sticks of dry baked bread. They originated within the Piedmont area of Italy and impressed soft-baked variations just like the garlic breadsticks you’ll discover in eating places right here within the US. I’ve eaten my fill of grissini on snack platters over time, and I lastly tried my hand at making them myself.

Grissini breadsticks ingredients with text labels overlaying each ingredient.Grissini breadsticks ingredients with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

Elements You’ll Want

I make these breadsticks with immediate yeast, so the rising time is fast. The remainder of the elements are staples in most pantries! Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for the printable elements record and recipe directions. 

  • Yeast – My grissini recipe makes use of immediate dry yeast. Ensure that to verify the expiration date on the yeast packet and ensure it’s as recent as potential. Yeast that’s previous or expired received’t proof accurately.
  • Sugar – This may be granulated sugar or brown sugar, or honey.
  • Heat Water – To mix with the sugar and yeast with a purpose to activate it. Be sure that the water is simply barely hotter than physique temperature (100-110ºF). If it’s too scorching, it’ll kill the yeast, and if it’s too chilly, the yeast received’t activate.
  • Olive Oil – In the event you should substitute one other oil, I like to recommend avocado oil.
  • Bread Flour – Bread flour is high-protein and makes for a sturdier, chewier bread dough. In a pinch, you’ll be able to swap it for all-purpose flour as an alternative. The grissini received’t have fairly the identical “bready” texture however they’ll nonetheless style nice.
  • Semolina Flour – Semolina is a sort of coarse flour that’s utilized in pasta-making and pizza recipes. Sprinkling the surface of the breadstick dough with semolina offers it a pleasant, textured end. It additionally helps with sticking.
  • Italian Herbs – Including herbs to the grissini dough is optionally available, but it surely’s a good way to spice up the flavour. You need to use an Italian seasoning mix or any dried Italian herbs, like oregano, basil, and parsley. Even slightly garlic powder goes a good distance for garlicky grissini breadsticks.

How one can Make Grissini (Crispy Italian Breadsticks)

Grissini makes use of a yeasted dough, so there’s some rising time concerned. I like to bake a batch of pignoli cookies whereas I anticipate the dough to relaxation! All in all, the recipe is tremendous straightforward, even in case you’re new to baking with yeast. Comply with the steps under, and take a look at my useful suggestions afterward.

  • Proof the yeast. First issues first, you’ll take out a big bowl. Add the yeast, sugar, and heat water. Give {that a} stir, then cowl the bowl and let the yeast proof for 10 minutes. The combination ought to look foamy. 
  • Make the dough. To the identical bowl, add a tablespoon of olive oil together with each flours and a pinch of salt. Combine to kind the dough, after which knead the dough on a floured floor for about 10 minutes (you are able to do this with a stand mixer when you’ve got one).
  • Rise. Deliver the dough collectively in a clean ball and let it relaxation for 20 minutes. Afterward, roll the dough out into a big rectangle and brush the highest with olive oil. Cowl the dough and go away it to rise for one more hour. 
  • Add toppings. Sprinkle the dough with semolina flour after which add the herbs, in case you’re utilizing them. In the meantime, get your oven preheating to 400ºF.
  • Reduce the dough. A pizza cutter makes this step tremendous straightforward. In any other case, use a pointy knife to slice the dough rectangle lengthwise into skinny “sticks”, rather less than ½” large. I normally get 18-20 breadsticks out of this recipe.
  • Bake. You’ll be able to bake the breadsticks as is, or, typically, I like to present them slightly twist beforehand. Organize the grissini on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for 18-20 minutes. Let the bread cool, then serve!
Grissini arranged on a wooden board next to a small bowl of seasonings.Grissini arranged on a wooden board next to a small bowl of seasonings.

Ideas and Variations

  • Ensure that the yeast prompts. If the yeast combination isn’t foaming after 10 minutes, it’s an indication that your yeast didn’t proof correctly. This may very well be as a result of the yeast you used is expired, or the water temperature was off. On this case, begin once more with recent yeast.
  • For soft-baked breadsticks, pull them from the oven on the 15-minute mark.
  • Make them tacky. To make tacky baked grissini, sprinkle the breadsticks with grated parmesan or shredded cheese.
  • Prime with garlic butter. Instead of Italian herbs, brush the tops of the grissini with garlic butter earlier than sprinkling the dough with semolina flour.
  • Olive breadsticks. Combine chopped olives into the dough (like this straightforward olive skillet bread).

What to Serve With Grissini

In Italy, grissini are eaten as an aperitivo, or appetizer, alongside cured meats, olives, and cheeses (just like charcuterie). So, that’s how I normally serve my breadsticks right here! I’ll add them to an snack desk with hen spiedini or fritto misto, toasty focaccia and caponata, and a tomato burrata salad. Nothing pairs higher with an Italian comfortable hour than a Campari spritz!

Crispy grissini are additionally excellent for dunking into soups, like this creamy crab soup or lasagna soup, and dips, like smoked salmon dip or heat pizza dip

Several grissini served in a bread basket lined with a cloth.Grissini (Italian Breadsticks)

How one can Retailer

Do-it-yourself grissini retailer effectively for 3-4 days in an hermetic container at room temperature. If the breadsticks get a bit stale or chewy, I’ll pop them into the oven for a couple of minutes to crisp them up once more. One other trick is to retailer them in a paper bag, which helps reduce the humidity to maintain them crunchy.

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  • Proof the yeast. Add yeast, sugar, and water to a big bowl and stir effectively to mix. Cowl the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and permit the yeast to proof for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, it needs to be foamy.

  • Make the dough. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, bread flour, and salt to the bowl with the yeast. Stir till the dough comes collectively. Switch the dough to a floured kitchen floor and knead till elastic for 10 minutes. Alternately, use a stand mixer with dough hooks connected.

  • First rise. Let the dough relaxation for 20 minutes. After the dough has risen barely, roll it into an 8×12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with remaining olive oil and canopy with plastic wrap.

  • Second rise. Let your oiled dough relaxation for 1 hour. After one hour, sprinkle the dough with semolina and Italian seasoning, if utilizing.

  • Prep. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a big baking sheet with parchment paper.

  • Reduce the dough. Utilizing a pointy knife or a pizza cutter, reduce the dough into 18-20 stripes (or sticks), ranging from the shorter facet.

  • Form the breadsticks. At this level, you’ll be able to bake the breadsticks with none further shaping, or just twist them, by holding their ends.

  • Bake. Place the breadstick onto the ready baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes.

  • Cool and serve. Cool the breadsticks earlier than you serve them. As they cool, the grissini will change into crispier however with a mushy middle.

  • For softer breadsticks, bake the breadsticks for quarter-hour.
  • For further taste, sprinkle the breadsticks with parmesan cheese.
  • In the event you should not have bread flour, use all-purpose flour. The breadsticks is not going to have a “bready” texture however will style superb.

Energy: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fats: 3g | Saturated Fats: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fats: 2g | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might range in line with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.

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