Recipe: Herb, cheese & sea salt grissini sticks (Italian breadsticks)

Forgot to buy your breaksticks from the supermarket? Can’t find any at your nearest grocery store? This shouldn’t deter you from serving delicious grissini at your next dinner party. Making them from scratch isn’t as hard as you think! You’ll be surprised that the ingredients list is as minimalist as it gets, and the recipe allows for plenty of flexibility. All you need for your homemade grissini are the basics: bread flour, dried yeast, a bit of sugar to activate the yeast, some olive oil. To flavour, you can add some cheese, a dash of salt, and herbs of your choice.

Serving suggestions for your homemade grissini

Grissini, our favourite rustic-looking crunchy Italian breadsticks, are such a chic addition to the dinner table when you’ve planned a family gathering or social dinner. In the same vein as crostini, bruschetta, and other flour-based preparations, grissini is often used as a vehicle for serving antipasti. In particular, paper-thin ham wrapped around grissini sticks make for a delicious appetiser indeed. You could also make a fantastic restaurant-style herb-infused balsamic and olive oil dip if you’re feeling fancy.

Flavour Matters: Get personal with your freshly baked grissini

We baked these delicious grissini sticks with Parmesan cheese, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. The sharp and nutty flavour of the Parmesan cheese pairs well with the fragrance of the garlic and herbs. The resulting savoury profile makes the grissini perfect for eating with cured meats and loaded dips! Of course, you don’t have to stick to our ideas, feel free to experiment with different herbs and cheeses to invent your ideal breadsticks.

Homemade Herb, Garlic, Cheese & Sea Salt Grissini (Italian Breadsticks)

Course: AppetizersCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Medium

Serving antipasti at the dinner table? Make your own deliciously crunchy grissini sticks to go with your cold cuts and dips. Only 8 ingredients are needed in this recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon (3g) instant dried yeast

• a pinch of sugar

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 250 grams bread flour (white strong flour)

• 60 grams Parmesan cheese, finely grated

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• fresh rosemary and/or thyme leaves, finely chopped

• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped

Preparation

• Fill a small bowl with 2/3 cup warm water. Stir in the yeast and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then leave to stand for 10 minutes, or until foamy. Stir in the olive oil.
• In a large bowl, add the bread flour, grated cheese, sea salt, herbs and garlic. Mix well, then pour in the yeast mixture and gently stir until a dough forms.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a rough ball.
• Grease a large bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Coat the dough in the oil by turning it over in the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 200°C and line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
• Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured work surface. Cut dough in half and roll out one of the halves to form a 8″ x 6″ rectangle. Cut into thin strips and gently roll each strip to form sticks about 9″ long. Place onto prepared baking tray. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
• Sprinkle with additional sea salt, then bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and golden, turning the tray halfway through to ensure sticks are evenly cooked.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days.

Notes

The above is a revised article. The original version can be found on the author’s personal blog.

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