Makes 20 grissini
1 envelope (2 1/3 teaspoons) active dried yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1 ¾ teaspoons salt
4 cups Italian organic 00 soft wheat flour, sifted
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
organic semolina, as needed
Dissolve the yeast in about ¼ cup of the warm water; set aside for a few moments.
Meanwhile, in another bowl, dissolve the salt in the rest of the water.
In a large bowl combine the organic flour and yeast mixture and start to mix; when its well combined, add the oil and salted water and knead together until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can do this by hand, or in an electric mixer.
Form the dough into a square shape, brush with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with a little semolina and let it rest, lightly covered with a damp cloth in a warm place for at least 2 hours, until doubled in volume.
Push the dough down to rid it of its bubbles, then cut it into strips of about ½ inch thick.
Now take each end, one in each hand, and stretch it until it reaches the length of the baking pan you are using. Line the pan with a sheet of parchment and place each breadstick after stretching onto it.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°C (375°F if it runs hot).
When all of the dough is stretched into narrow lengths, bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let them cool on wire racks.
These Grissini – aka thin, crisp, breadsticks – were created in northern Italy, in the city of Turin. The name grissini derives from the word “gherssa“, a traditional bread that is prepared in the Piedmont region, similar to a baguette, and the Torinesi, refers to Turin.
Antonio Brunero, the baker of the House of Savoy, invented them on the advice of the royal doctor, so that young Vittorio Amedeo II could eat bread. The child, in poor health, could not digest the fluffy inner part of the bread, so Brunero baked these loaves from a finely milled soft wheat. They had no crumb at all, so he could eat the crunchy breadsticks which were indeed crisp and tasty.
