Grissini - How to Make Italian Breadsticks

Making Italian Grissini yourself is not difficult! This is our favorite Grissini recipe for wonderfully crispy breadsticks.

Grissini just always taste good!

Whether as a snack, as a side dish or as an appetizer: The crispy breadsticks made of yeast dough have long since become part of the standard repertoire, and not only in pizzerias. For me, homemade grissini are definitely the favorite Italian pastry next to taralli and cantuccini.

That's why we have them regularly at home 😉 . And in the most different alternatives. Because my easy grissini recipe can be wonderfully varied.

Taste and Occasion

Because the grissini are so crispy and handy, even the little baker of fortune loves them. Just like my healthy baby spelt sticks, they are easy to make a great snack for hungry people.

And our son is always hungry (no wonder with the kilometers he runs and plays every day 😉 ). Unfortunately, he has some allergies and neurodermatitis, so he can't tolerate many typical children's meals/snacks.

In his homemade grissini, however, he only uses basic ingredients that he (like most children) can cope with: flour, water, oil, salt.

Ingredients

Sometimes I make the sticks with sesame, poppy seeds or dried herbs. Sometimes it's spelt grissini made from wholemeal flour. The foundation is always a simple, spicy yeast dough; alternatively, you can make the grissini from pizza dough.

Usually, I am always in favor of fresh yeast, but for homemade breadsticks I also like to use dry yeast. The recipe in this article is comparatively small, so you should double or triple it for parties or the like. More is always better…

Unlike many bought Grissini, the homemade ones definitely don't taste like cardboard 😉 . In my opinion, they look much nicer than these uniform, absolutely round standardized convenience sticks. Just almost like real Grissini torinesi.

When it comes to flour, I recommend using double-grip flour, flour with Type 550 or Wiener Griessler. Alternatively, you can replace part of it with durum wheat semolina. As far as I know, in Italy we mostly use durum wheat flour, but I rarely see it in our country.

How to make Grissini

Making grissini at home is not difficult at all. The first step is to mix flour and dry yeast. Stir them briefly together with all other ingredients at the lowest setting, then knead (leave to knead) for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and separates itself from the rim of the bowl.

Then, cover the bowl with a cling film and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 360°F / 180°C and cover two baking sheets with baking paper.

Knead the dough again briefly and roll it out thickly on a lightly floured work surface.
Cut the dough into narrow strips with a sharp knife and form them into thin rolls. Or remove small portions of the dough and form rolls directly. The secret here is: The thinner the breadsticks, the crispier they become.

Then, spread the grissini on the baking sheets with some distance between them. Brush them lightly with water and sprinkle them with coarse salt, sesame seeds, spices, herbs, etc. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your breadsticks.

Top Tip

Grissini taste best when fresh, but they can also be kept for a few days, preferably in a bread bag, in an aluminum can, wrapped in aluminum foil or similar. Do not put them in an airtight Tupperbox, there they will soften.

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How to make Grissini

The Italian nibbling classic par excellence: These crispy grissini are perfect for buffets, starters or easy snacks. Also great to take away for small children!

Prep Time10 mins

Baking Time12 mins

Waiting Time45 mins

Servings: 30 pieces

Calories: 39kcal

Ingredients

• 250 grams wheat flour type 550 or double handle flour
• ½ packet dry yeast alternatively ¼ cube fresh
• 1 pinch sugar
• 125 milliliters water lukewarm
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Measures in Metric units - Measures in U.S. Customary units

Instructions

• Mix flour and dry yeast. Stir briefly together with all other ingredients at the lowest setting, then knead (leave to knead) for approx. 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and separates from the rim of the bowl.
• Cover bowl with cling film and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 360°F / 180°C . Cover two baking sheets with baking paper. Knead the dough again briefly and roll out thickly on a lightly floured work surface.
• Cut the dough into narrow strips with a sharp knife and form them into thin rolls; alternatively, remove small portions of dough and form rolls directly. The thinner the grissini, the crispier they become.
• Spread the Grissini on the baking sheets with some distance between them. Brush them lightly with water and sprinkle them with coarse salt, sesame seeds, spices, herbs, etc. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, depending on thickness.

Variations

I personally keep the grissini recipe very basic and sprinkle the sticks with sea salt, pepper, seeds or herbs before baking. But if it has to be something special, the dough can also be refined. For example, with finely chopped olives, chili, grated parmesan or dried tomato pieces.

Similar Recipes

If you and your small ones are into breadsticks, I can only recommend you to try my recipe for healthy baby spelt sticks with banana and apple.

And in case you are a big fan of Italian baked goods, I have one very easy and simple recipe for original Italian Ciabatta bread for you to try.

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