Grissini

17/11/2023

Grissini are a very popular Italian snack, originating from Turin in Piedmont. Traditionally, they are presented as crispy breadsticks, thin and long. Here’s the recipe for homemade grissini:

Ingredients

500 g of type 00 flour
250 ml of warm water
10 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
10 g of sugar
10 g of salt
50 ml of extra virgin olive oil
Flour for dusting the work surface

Preparation

Crumble the fresh brewer’s yeast into a bowl and dissolve it with a little warm water taken from the total. Add the sugar to facilitate the activation of the yeast and let it rest for a few minutes.
Put the flour in a large bowl or on the work surface. Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast, oil, and gradually the warm water. Start to mix the ingredients from the center, incorporating the flour from the edges.
When the dough begins to form, add the salt and continue to knead vigorously until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface and continue to work it for about 10 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Let it rise for 1-2 hours in a warm place, until the dough has doubled in volume.
After rising, take the dough and divide it into small pieces. Roll out each piece into a long stick of the size you prefer, trying to keep them as uniform as possible.
Arrange the grissini on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving a bit of space between each one.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C for about 10-15 minutes or until the grissini are golden and crispy.
Let the grissini cool on a wire rack before serving.

Trivia

According to legend, grissini were invented in the 17th century for the future King Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, who had digestive problems. The court baker thus created a bread that was easy to digest by removing the crumb and leaving only the crust. Since then, grissini have become a specialty of the Piedmont region and are known and appreciated all over the world.

You can experiment by adding spices or seeds, such as rosemary, thyme, sesame, or poppy to vary the taste of your grissini!