If you love snacks with a crunch, these crunchy breadsticks (aka Italian grissini) fit the bill. Pack them for lunch, serve them with dip, or set them on the table with your favorite soup for dinner. This recipe only requires a single rise, making it a bit faster than some other bread recipes.
I’ve baked chewy breadsticks for decades, but when I was writing my book, I wanted to try my hand at making grissini breadsticks. These are crunchy Italian breadsticks made from simple ingredients and baked until they’re golden brown and crispy.
Crunch, munch, friends, these are delicious.
Ingredients
Flour — When I bake with all-purpose flour I opt for the unbleached version. Bleached flour is very white, but it’s also treated with bleaching agents that I don’t really need in my food.
Herbs — An optional ingredient, you can choose what you have growing in your herb garden. Chop the herbs finely and mix them in for a variety of flavors.
5 Easy Steps to Transform Your Pantry!
Ready to switch from store bought to homemade? Let me help you make some changes! Grab my FREE five-part guide to getting started.
Toppings — Also optional, sprinkles like poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or everything bagel seasoning give these snacks extra flavor.
Forming the Breadsticks
Once the dough is ready to use, roll it out and cut into strips. Holding down one end of each strip, twist it. You can twist it in a tight pattern or more loosely, as you like.
Bake the breadsticks until they are golden brown and no longer soft. Store in an airtight container to retain the crispiness.
Crunchy Italian Breadsticks (aka Grissini)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups warm water (110°F to 120°F)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh herbs Optional
- Toppings: Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning Optional
Instructions
- Measure warm water into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Add sugar, yeast, and salt. Stir until mostly dissolved. Add flour and olive oil; mix until flour is incorporated.
- If you wish to work the optional fresh herbs into the dough, now is the time to add those.
- In a mixer equipped with a dough hook: Process on low speed until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side of the bowl. It should feel tacky, but not stick to your fingers.
- Or, to mix by hand: Stir together using a sturdy wooden spoon. When the dough starts to get too stiff to stir with the spoon, put the dough on a floured flat surface and use your hands to work the dough into a nice, smooth ball. Add a sprinkling of flour if the dough gets too sticky.
- Transfer dough to a greased bowl, flipping it over once to coat the dough. This prevents sticking. Allow to rise for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Punch down dough and divide into quarters.
- With a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough, one at a time, to about ⅛-inch thickness. If desired, sprinkle optional toppings over dough and press into the dough with a rolling pin.
- Cut dough into ½- to 1-inch strips using a knife or pizza cutter. Transfer strips to ungreased baking sheets and twist, pressing ends down to prevent the dough from untwisting, if necessary. Maintain about ½-inch space between each strip of dough. You can also line the baking sheets with a piece of parchment paper if you like.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Store cooled breadsticks in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
