Makes: 20
Long, thin and crispy homemade Italian breadsticks done by the French! Perfect served with drinks, cured meats and cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (9 oz./250 g) water
- 0.5 oz. (15 g) fresh yeast
- 4 cups + 2 tbsp (1 lb. 2 oz./500 g) bread flour (T65)
- 2 tsp (0.35 oz./10 g) salt
- Scant ⅓ cup (2.5 oz./70 g) extra-virgin olive oil + more for baking
- Your choice of flavourings (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, herbes de Provence, fleur de sel, etc.)
Directions
1Place the water in the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Crumble in the fresh yeast and stir or swish to dissolve. Add the flour and salt and knead for 4 minutes on speed 1, followed by 5 minutes on speed 2. Toward the end of the kneading time, drizzle in the olive oil with the mixer running.
2Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Fold the dough once, after 30 minutes (bulk fermentation*).
3Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Using your fingertips, press the dough into a rectangle, about 8 in. (20 cm) long and ½ in. (1 cm) thick. Cut the dough lengthwise into strips, ½–¾ in. (1–2 cm) thick, using a bench scraper or pizza cutter.
4Shape the strips as you wish: you can roll them under your hands to make them long and thin, hold them on either end and twist them, or roll them up to make them thicker. As you shape the strips, place them on the prepared baking sheet.
5Brush the grissini with a little olive oil and sprinkle with your flavoring of choice. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until deeply golden.
6Slide the grissini onto a rack with the parchment paper underneath and let cool completely.
