Italian grissini aka homemade crunchy breadsticks, make a simple yet impressive addition to any antipasti board or crudités platter.
Perfect as a snack on their own, Italian crunchy breadsticks make a fantastic vehicle for a dip or hummus.
They are super easy to make, require 4 basic ingredients, yet they taste so incredibly good. If you love "putting your hands in the dough" try your hand at making them by hand, all you need is flour, water, yeast and oil.
You can add all your favorite flavours to the dough: chopped fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, seeds, spices, they all work well.
Or you can simply sprinkle them with sea salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds or cumin seeds just before baking.
Making your own Italian breadsticks is really simple and the dough is absolutely fool-proof.
You only need to mix all the ingredients together, knead the dough for a few minutes, let it rise, roll out the sticks and bake them. Easy right?
GRISSINI BAKING TIPS
- Some flours require more water than others, so start with ¾ of the liquid, then add the remaining while you knead.
- If the dough is too wet to knead, add an extra handful of flour.
- Roll the breadsticks directly in the baking sheet covered with parchment paper, to avoid transferring them from the working surface onto the baking tray.
- Brush the grissini with extra-virgin olive right before baking them for an extra crunchy result.
- You can leave the dough to rise overnight in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature, then shape it and bake the breadsticks.
- You can freeze the dough after kneading: freeze in an airtight freezer bag. Defrost completely, then let the dough puff up a little again, then shape into sticks and proceed with the baking.
BREADSTICKS DIPS IDEAS
You can eat your homemade vegan breadsticks on their own. My favorite way to eat Italian breadsticks is plain as they are, crispy and fragrant, right off the oven.
Alternatively, wrapped up in prosciutto and served with a glass of wine or Spritz, they make the perfect aperitivo.
You can also serve them with an antipasti board, or accompanied by dips or spreads.
Here are a few favourite dips you can serve with grissini:
Marina sauce - such a classic, never goes out of fashion
Broccoli pesto - sounds unusual but it tastes so good!
Beetroot Hummus - go for the classic hummus or try this nutritious version.
There are tons of other dips that pair well with breadsticks (think guacamole, babaganoush, cream cheese and many more), so just pick your favourite!
HOW TO STORE ITALIAN BREADSTICKS
Store your crunchy Italian grissini in an airtight container, I use a tall spaghetti jar.
Try to eat them within 2-3 days, as after that they may turn a little soft. In this case, you can crisp them up in a hot oven for a couple of minutes.
Can you freeze breadsticks?
Yes, you can also freeze breadsticks.
Wrap them tightly with cling film, breadsticks will last in the freezer up to 3 months.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram tag @thepetitecook!
Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!
Grissini - Crunchy Italian Breadsticks
Ingredients
- 120 ml warm water
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 165 g all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a big bowl add the lukewarm water, sugar and yeast. Whisk well. Add ½ cup of the flour to the yeast mixture and whisk well. Let the yeast activate for about 10 minutes. It should bubble up and rise. Add the oil to it and mix.
- In another bowl mix another ½ cup of flour with the salt. Gradually add the flour to the yeast mixture and whisk until the dough gets thick enough to be kneaded. Transfer the dough over onto a floured surface.
- Knead the dough, gradually adding the remaining flour. Knead until the dough is no longer sticky, about 4 minutes, then place the dough in a oiled bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F degrees.
- Transfer the dough on a floured surface and roll it into a thin rectangular shape. Cut long strips of dough using a sharp knife or pizza wheel. Gently roll each strip with your hands, to make a thin breadstick. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
- Place the bread sticks on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and sprinkle them with optional sea salt. You can also brush them with a little extra-virgin olive oil for a super crunchy result.
- Bake in the oven until golden and crisp, about 18- 20 minutes.
- Remove the grissini from the oven, allow them to cool on a cooling rack, then serve.
Notes
- You can leave the dough to rise overnight in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature, then shape it and bake the breadsticks.
- You can freeze the dough after kneading: freeze in an airtight freezer bag. Defrost completely, then let the dough puff up a little again, then shape into sticks and proceed with the baking.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
MORE CLASSIC ITALIAN RECIPES TO TRY:
- Italian Pizza Dough Recipe
- Traditional Bolognese Sauce (Ragu' alla Bolognese)
- Classic Tiramisu Without Eggs - Authentic Italian Recipe
- Torta di Mele - Italian Apple Cake
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