Sourdough Grissini Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Bake

by: Maurizio Leo

November2,2021

5

13 Ratings

  • Prep time 5 hours
  • Cook time 22 minutes
  • makes About 20 grissini

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Author Notes

Homemade grissini—essentially Italian-style breadsticks—are an easy upgrade to any dinner table. If you’ve traveled through Italy, you’ve no doubt encountered this spindly bread, always set out on the table in paper bags meant to whet your appetite and hold you over until that first pasta dish inevitably arrives. And while those are great, this sourdough version is better. They are crunchy, a little salty, and can be gussied up with any dried herbs or seeds that suit your fancy, my favorite being za’atar or white sesame seeds. When I make these I almost always double the recipe, they go faster than you think.

One of the great things about these grissini (besides their crunchy texture and flavor, of course) is that they actually seem to improve as they sit out uncovered on the counter. If you’re preparing for a large gathering, make them the day before and simply leave them on their sheet pan until you’re ready to set your table or put out the appetizer spread.

The recipe calls for fine or superfine sugar (also called caster sugar)—be sure not to use any coarse sugar (granulated or cane sugar is okay) in the recipe, which will have a hard time incorporating into the dough. To ensure the grissini are extra crispy, make sure you bake them long enough so they achieve a light brown color and produce a satisfying crunch when snapped. Depending on your location (humidity can affect the end result!), you may need to bake a few minutes longer than the specified time. —Maurizio Leo

Test Kitchen Notes

This dish is part of Residentsgiving—aka the Thanksgiving menu of our wildest dreams—created by Food52's resident experts-slash-superheroes. Devour the rest of the spread here, and while you're at it, learn how to . —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 260 gramsall-purpose flour
  • 120 gramswater
  • 75 gramsripe sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • 30 gramsextra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 5 gramsfine granulated or superfine sugar (not confectioners’)
  • 5 gramsfine sea salt
  • Sesame seeds, za’atar, herbes de Provence, for topping (optional)
Directions
  1. Mix the dough (9:00 a.m.)

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the flour, water, sourdough starter, 30 grams of the oil, the sugar, and salt on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until combined and no dry bits of flour remain. Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and mix, scraping the bowl as needed, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dough clumps around the dough hook.

  2. Preshape the dough (9:15 a.m.)

    Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and use a pastry brush or paper towel to brush on a thin layer of oil. Transfer the dough to the center of the sheet pan and use your hands to form the dough into a 14-by-3-inch rectangle. Use the oiled pastry brush and brush on a very light layer of olive oil to the top and sides of the shaped dough rectangle.

  3. Proof the dough (9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)

    Cover the sheet pan with a reusable airtight cover or greased plastic wrap, and let it rise at warm room temperature (76°F/24°C) for 3 hours, until the dough has puffed slightly and feels airy when poked.

  4. Shape the dough (12:30 p.m.)

    Place a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C). Line a second half sheet pan with parchment paper.

    Uncover the proofed dough rectangle. If using seeds or spices, sprinkle them over the proofed rectangle now.

    Using a bench scraper, cut the dough rectangle into about 20 short (½-inch) strips. I like to press directly down with the bench scraper and slightly push the cut piece away to create space.

    Using both hands, grab a strip of cut dough by the ends and stretch it out in a single motion to about 12 inches long, which will fit inside the second sheet pan running parallel to the short sides. As you stretch each piece, place it in the pan and lay it very close to, but not touching, the stretched piece before. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.

  5. Bake the grissini (1:00 p.m.)

    Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the grissini just starts to turn a golden brown color and are crispy.

    Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. The grissini will keep well for several days after baking stored in a paper bag on the counter to maintain their crunchiness. I find they’re even better the day after baking.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Karla

  • Rebecca

  • toltmans

  • Maurizio Leo

Recipe by: Maurizio Leo

Maurizio is the software engineer-turned-baker behind the award-winning sourdough website, The Perfect Loaf. Since baking his first loaf of bread, he's been obsessed with adjusting the balance between yeast and bacteria, tinkering with dough strength and hydration, and exploring everything sourdough. His New York Times Bestselling sourdough cookbook, The Perfect Loaf, is now available.

Popular on Food52

18 Reviews

Karla January 28, 2024

These turned out great despite me not following all of the proofing guidelines. I let the dough sit overnight then rolled it out, seasoned and put them onto the sheet pan and into the oven. Delicious!

Sabrina T. December 16, 2023

Not sure how I messed them up but the dough was very dry. I had to add a little water to get it to come together.
Using hand to shape in a 14x3 was not gonna happen. So I used a rolling pin they are rising now but I think I gonna have to switch to a different recipe and make more for my event tomorrow. Unless this is how they should be?

Rebecca December 29, 2022

These were definitely a hit! After making this recipe, I tried two other sourdough grissini recipes and I had, by far, the best results with this one! We all preferred the crispy over the chewy. I plan to try to brush a little garlic oil and Parmesan on them when they’re almost done next time. I also wonder about using whole wheat.

jo April 20, 2022

Hi Mauricio, I made these today and they were great but I want to try baking again with half wholewheat flour. Do you think it will work? Should I add more water?

jennifer A. April 19, 2022

Made these today.
Big hit with the kids for dinner! Sprinkled generously with sesame seeds. Glad I doubled and only cooked half as they're gone. Quite nice with cream cheese. Will make again!

jennifer A. April 19, 2022

I should add, hubs wants them garlicky next time, which sounds like it should be good.

Maurizio L. April 19, 2022

Yes, garlic would be great. Sesame is a fav of mine to be sure. Glad you guys liked 'em! My kids can't get enough 🙂

paseo January 23, 2022

These were amazing. They had just the right amount of sour flavor, weren't bland at all. The recipe worked really well - thanks for the metric measurements - and they keep for days.

Maurizio L. January 23, 2022

Happy to hear they turned out so well for you!

Isabel January 22, 2022

My family love the breadsticks. So easy to make.

Sarah November 28, 2021

This was a super easy and fun sourdough project that I now want to make every week! So much fun and excellent result.

Maurizio L. November 29, 2021

So glad you like them, Sarah!

[emailprotected] November 11, 2021

great stuff and very easy to make.
kids ate all the first batch in hours;)

Maurizio L. November 23, 2021

So glad to hear they turned out well!

toltmans November 8, 2021

Can I modify for a non-sourdough version?

Maurizio L. November 23, 2021

It would take testing and modification to the starter used in the recipe!

hanna November 7, 2021

I don’t have a scale- how can I convert the trans to ounces?

Maurizio L. November 7, 2021

Hey, Hanna. Check out King Arthur's conversion guide, it may help!
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart

Sourdough Grissini Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How do Italians eat grissini? ›

The dough is made from these simple ingredients which is then formed into little and thin sausages and stretched out to achieve the desired finish. Once done with that, some flavors can be added such as sesame seeds to herbs. In Italy, they are often eaten as appetizers, paired with cured meats of all kinds.

Why do you put olive oil in sourdough bread? ›

Does olive oil make dough softer? Yes - adding olive oil to sourdough bread will result in a softer crust and crumb. The oil as a lipid coats the flour and inhibits the gluten network resulting in a softer, tighter crumb and softer crust.

What can you eat with grissini? ›

Bread sticks (grissini) are often eaten instead of bread, i.e. to accompany dishes of meat, fish, cheese and vegetables - NOT pasta or pizza - and it is easy to find them together with bread on a restaurant table.

What is another name for grissini? ›

Breadsticks, also known as grissini, grissino or dipping sticks (Piedmontese: ghërsin, Piedmontese: [gəɾˈsiŋ]), are generally pencil-sized sticks of crisp, dry baked bread that originated in the Piedmont region of Italy.

What is the best oil to use for sourdough bread? ›

By adding a little olive oil, this sourdough bread has a softer crust and so much flavor. The olive oil complements the typical sourdough flavor to produce a mellower bread with a beautifully even and moist crumb. Even though this is a high-hydration dough, it is not difficult to make and is very beginner-friendly!

Why do you put honey in sourdough bread? ›

One of the benefits to adding honey to sourdough is that it can reduce the sour flavor of the bread. This could also be a disadvantage if you really enjoy that tang! Much like sugar, honey will feed the yeast in a very fast manner, meaning that it can increase the rise of your sourdough.

Why do you put baking soda in sourdough bread? ›

What does baking soda do to sourdough? because it reacts with the acid from the sourdough starter to create carbon dioxide gas, which provides leavening.

Why is it called grissini? ›

The noble origins of grissini – Italian for breadsticks – according to some others, are even older and their name would come from “grissia” (ghersa in dialect) the name given locally to bread loafs.

What country is grissini from? ›

Grissini are crunchy, slender breadsticks that make an appearance on most restaurant and aperitivo tables around Italy. Though their shape and name changes as you travel throughout the country, the history of grissini is linked to Turin, the capital of the Piemonte.

What are the different types of grissini? ›

Kinds of Grissini

Grissinis are of two kind, Grissini Stirato (Straight Grissini) and the Grissini Rubata (Rolled Grissini). There are many flavorings and variations that we can make with the same dough to make different varieties of grissini. We can make the Grissini very thin and crisp or slightly thicker and softer.

Is it OK to eat sourdough bread everyday? ›

Can you eat sourdough bread every day? It's good news for sourdough super-fans. 'Sourdough is rich in carbohydrates which should make up around 50% of our energy intake every day, so there's no problem with eating sourdough daily,' says Tilt, who adds; 'it's delicious and I often do! '

Which cheese goes well with sourdough? ›

Best cheeses for a sourdough grilled cheese sandwich

I love the combination of cheddar, gruyere, Havarti, and parmesan here. It gives the grilled cheese a slightly elevated and gourmet feel. Some other great cheese options would be mozzarella, brie, gouda, pepper jack, Monterey jack cheese, or American cheese.

What is the most famous sourdough bread? ›

San Francisco Sourdough

Since 1849, Boudin Bakery has been the home of a San Francisco classic. The bread that began with the gold rush—local flavor and history baked into every loaf.

How are you supposed to eat breadsticks? ›

Breadsticks can be enjoyed in various creative ways. You can dip them in marinara sauce, garlic butter, or olive oil. They can also be paired with cheese, cured meats, or hummus for a delicious snack. Additionally, you can crumble them over salads or soups for added crunch and flavor.

How do you eat starter bread in Italy? ›

How to Eat Bread in Italy like the Italians. Bread is meant to be eaten with the meal, not before the meal, unless it is baked and drizzled with olive oil, then it is considered an appetizer. Eat away in that case.

What are the rules for eating bread in Italy? ›

Only eat your bread with either your non-pasta first course (soup or antipasto), your main course (meat) or your side dish (vegetable). You are also allowed to, and expected to, use bits of your bread to help any non-pasta food up onto your fork. 5.

How do Italians eat ciabatta? ›

One of the most common uses for ciabatta bread is for a grilled Italian sandwich known as a panini. It is typically made with layered meats, cheese, and vegetables that are placed between slices of bread and pressed and cooked in a panini grill.

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