Crunchy Italian Bread Sticks (Basil Grissini) Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp melted lard or sunflower oil
Instructions
- Stir flour, basil, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour warm water into the well, and sprinkle yeast over warm water. Gently stir yeast & water. Let sit until yeast is frothy (approx. 5-10 min).
- Stir with a wooden spoon, incorporating all the flour. Drizzle lard or oil over the dough and stir until it forms a ball.
- Knead on a floured work surface until smooth and satiny (3-5 minutes), adding a bit more flour if needed.
- Put the dough in a greased bowl, turn to coat dough with grease, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon sheets.
- Punch down risen dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 4 even portions.
- Roll 1 portion at a time into approximately a 1/8” thick, 8-inch x 8-inch square. Let rest for 1-2 minutes.
- Lightly brush the top of the dough with sunflower oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt (coarse or medium grind).
- With a pizza cutter or pastry, wheel cut the dough into lengthwise strips, each 1/4 inch wide. Arrange strips on a baking sheet, 1/2 inch apart. Bake 10-15 minutes until evenly brown and crisp. Continue rolling and filling 2nd baking sheet.
Notes
Baking sheets must be cool before adding more grissini for baking.
Watch carefully while baking—thinner strips may bake faster and need to be removed from the oven, while thicker ones continue to bake. Cool on wire racks. Stores in airtight containers.
Substitute other fresh ingredients for basil—try dill, thyme, or ground dried red peppers.