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Tricolor breadsticks

17/11/2023

Tricolor breadsticks are a colorful and tasty variation of the classic Piedmontese breadsticks. To give the colors of the Italian flag, we can use spinach for green, sun-dried tomatoes or tomato paste for red, and classic dough for white.

Ingredients

Basic dough:

  • 400 g of type 00 flour
  • 100 g of durum wheat semolina
  • 300 ml of warm water
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 10 g of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 7 g of fresh brewer’s yeast or 2 g of dry yeast

For the green (spinach):

  • 100 g of fresh or frozen spinach (cooked and squeezed)
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (additional)

For the red (sun-dried tomatoes or tomato paste):

  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste or 100 g of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (additional)

Preparation

  1. Begin by preparing the basic dough: dissolve the yeast in warm water with sugar. Put the flour and semolina in a large bowl, creating a well. Pour the water with yeast, salt, and a tablespoon of oil into the center.

  2. Knead until you have a uniform mixture and let it rest covered for about 30 minutes.

  3. Divide the dough into three equal parts.

  4. Add a tablespoon of oil to the finely chopped spinach and knead it into one of the dough portions until you have an even green color.

  5. Do the same with the tomato paste or finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes for the second part to obtain the red hue.

  6. Leave the white dough as is.

  7. Let each of the doughs rest separately for another 30 minutes.

  8. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

  9. Roll out each dough into long sticks about one and a half centimeters thick and of the desired length.

  10. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spacing them slightly apart so they don’t stick together during baking.

  11. Bake the breadsticks for about 15-20 minutes or until they are golden and crispy, checking the oven occasionally as cooking may vary depending on the thickness of the breadsticks and the type of oven.

Once baked, let them cool down and they will be ready to be enjoyed.

Curiosity

Breadsticks were born in the Piedmont of the seventeenth century, and it seems that they were devised for the young Duke Vittorio Amedeo II, who had difficulty digesting ordinary bread. Over time, they have become a classic aperitif, loved throughout Italy and beyond. The tricolor version is a tribute to the Italian flag and adds a touch of creativity and flavor to the aperitif service.

Tricolor breadsticks