Grissini Breadsticks Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon active dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3/4 cup warm water (177 mls)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/4 cups bread flour (280 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (not fine table salt - it will be too salty)
• 1/4 cup fine semolina (semolina flour)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Make the dough by hand ---

2. 2

   Combine active dried yeast, honey and warm water in a large bowl. Let it stand for 10 minutes until foamy.

3. 3

   Stir in the oil followed by the flour and salt and mix until a rough dough is formed.

4. 4

   Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. It shouldn’t need to be floured but if the dough is sticking excessively and is difficult to manage, flour the surface very lightly.

5. 5

   Knead the dough by stretching it out and folding it on top of itself. Turn the dough 90 degrees and then repeat the stretching and folding motion. At first, it will be sticky and the dough will tear and break but as you continue it will become smoother and more elastic. It can take 8-10 minutes to achieve this.

6. 6

   --- Make the dough with a stand mixer ---

7. 7

   Mix the yeast, honey and warm water together in your stand mixer bowl. Allow to stand 10 minutes or so until bubbly.

8. 8

   Add the oil, flour and salt and start mixing slowly with the dough hook until it all comes together.

9. 9

   Continue to knead with the dough hook for about 3-5 minutes until smooth and elastic.

10. 10

    Remove dough and knead a little by hand to bring it together. Don't be tempted to add more flour - the dough shouldn't be dry.

11. 11

    --- Proving the dough ---

12. 12

    Place the dough on an oiled surface - either a large cutting board or baking sheet.

13. 13

    Cover the dough with an upturned bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. The dough will rise a little.

14. 14

    Lift the bowl off the dough and with your hands press the dough into a rectangle 12 inches by 8 inches (30 cm by 20 cm) or thereabouts. Rub 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil over the surface and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1 hour or until well risen.

15. 15

    In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and oil two large baking sheets with olive oil or line them with parchment paper.

16. 16

    --- Shaping and baking the grissini breadsticks ---

17. 17

    Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the dough with semolina.

18. 18

    Using a knife, pizza wheel or bench scraper, cut the dough into 20 strips along the long side of the dough. The strips should be approximately ½ inch (1 ½ cm) thick and 8 inches (20cm) long.

19. 19

    The dough is lovely and elastic so pick up each strip and stretch and pull until you have long thin bread sticks. The dough can be twisted for a different appearance. Roll in more semolina if you like.

20. 20

    Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Turn them halfway for even browning if necessary.

21. 21

    Allow to cool before serving. The grissini will become more crunchy as they cool.