G for Grissini Breadsticks – Garlic Parmesan Grissini - Day 7

As kids when we went out to eat, my brother and I loved chomping on these hard breadsticks while our parents savored their soups. The Grissini are similar to those breadsticks except these are much thinner and they can be flavored to taste. 

G for GRISSINI BREADSTICKS – ITALY

History: 
Source: Here

"Grissini, or Traditional Italian Bread Sticks, originated in Torino in Piemonte, a region of northwest Italy. Grissini were actually invented around the end of the 17th century to cure the health problems of young Duke Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy. 

The Duke had difficulty digesting most foods and Don Baldo di Lanzo, the court doctor, commissioned a baker from Torino, Antonio Brunero, to create something that the young Duke could digest. Antonio decided to take a part of the dough use to make ghersa, a typical bread of Torino, and stretch it out into long, thin strips. Once baked, the thin bread sticks were crisp and easy to digest. His creation was a great success and became so popular, it entered the daily life of the Torinesi - and later the whole of Italy. 

Among the greatest fans of Grissini was Napoleon Bonaparte, who at the beginning of the 19th century, founded a stagecoach service between Torino and Paris mostly dedicated to delivering him what he called les petits batons de Turin, “ little sticks of Turin”."

These breadsticks are savory and flavored with garlic and parmesan making them a perfect snack, soup or no soup. 

You will need:

Recipe adapted from here:

¼ cup whole wheat flour

6 tbsp Warm water

½ tsp Honey

1 ½ tsp Active dry yeast

¾ cup All- purpose flour

2 tbsp Olive oil, plus extra

¾ tsp Salt

Flavorings:(Optional)

1 tsp Garlic powder

2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

In a measuring cup, combine the yeast, wheat flour and honey. Slowly add the warm water and combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to proof. The mixture should look foamy.

To the bowl of a stand mixer add the all-purpose flour, olive oil and salt. To this add the proofed mixture. Using a dough hook, mix on low speed until combined. You can continue to knead the dough in the mixer on medium-high speed for 5-7 minutes until the dough is silky and smooth or you can transfer dough to the countertop and knead by hand for 10 minutes. Once the dough is soft and smooth roll into a ball and apply a little olive oil on the surface of the dough. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour until double.

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Punch down the dough lightly. I added Garlic powder and grated Parmesan to the dough before forming the breadsticks. Add the flavorings and knead the dough gently to distribute the flavorings. If you like them plain don’t add any flavorings. Cut pieces of dough and roll them into thin long sticks. The best part about these sticks is that they don't have to be perfectly shaped.In fact the more uneven, the better they look! So don't sweat over getting perfect breadsticks. Place on the lined sheet and allow to rest for 15 minutes so they can puff up a little.

Bake them for 10-12 minutes or slightly longer depending on how thick the sticks are. Halfway through, rotate the pan so the bread sticks can bake evenly. They do bake quickly and the tips can burn, so keep a constant eye on them.

Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container. These were so crunchy and tasty, that nothing was left to store :) I'll be definitely baking up another batch very soon. 

BAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: 

A for ANZAC BISCUITS

B for BASBOUSA
C for CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS
D for DAMPER BREAD
E for EMPANADAS
F for FLAN MEXICANO

 

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