Breadsticks

Roll bread dough into thin ropes, brush lightly with olive oil and bake on a tray at 200 °C for about 10–15 minutes, until golden. Leave them to cool completely on a rack; they crisp up as they cool.

Once opened, seal them in an airtight tin or container and keep it somewhere cool and dry. If they have gone soft, spread them on a tray and warm them at 160 °C for a few minutes, then cool before serving.

Serve them with dips such as hummus, tapenade or soft cheese, or wrap them in thin slices of cured ham. They also make a crunchy accompaniment to soup and are a familiar part of an antipasti spread.

Yes. Seal them well in a freezer bag; once thawed, refresh them on a baking tray at 160 °C for a few minutes if they have lost their crunch.

Grissini are Italian breadsticks, usually long, thin and crisp. The names are often used interchangeably, though breadsticks can also describe thicker or softer sticks.

Yes. Crush them finely in a bag or food processor and use the crumbs to coat fish, chicken or vegetables, or to add crunch to a pasta bake. Check whether the breadsticks are salted before seasoning the dish.

Most are made with wheat flour, so they contain gluten. Check the ingredients for wheat and other allergens such as sesame, which may be added or present through cross-contact.