Grissini are crispy Italian breadsticks made with just a handful of easy ingredients. They’re great as a snack or as a side! My grissini recipe uses instant yeast and Italian herbs, and they bake up crunchy and golden.
If you’re just getting the hang of homemade bread dough, this breadstick recipe is very beginner-friendly! Also, try this homemade focaccia and these easy Macedonian gevrek (sesame bagels).
Grissini is the perfect pre-dinner snack with a cheese plate and a glass of wine or a bellini cocktail. But who am I kidding? I’ll gladly eat a platter of these crispy Italian breadsticks with a bowl of olives as the ultimate girl dinner when my husband and kids are out. Thin, crispy grissini breadsticks are golden and crunchy on the outside, a little soft in the center, and seriously addictive. Happy snacking to us!
Why I Love These Grissini Breadsticks
- One bowl. As far as yeasted bread recipes go, the dough for grissini is super simple. The breadstick dough comes together in one bowl, followed by a bit of rising time.
- Versatile. Grissini makes the perfect light snack or easy side dish for just about any meal. Serve them aperitivo-style with a plate of nibbles like olives, cured meats, cheese, and spiced nuts at happy hour. Or, dunk these crispy breadsticks into dips, like hummus, and soups or stews.
- Customizable. I flavor my grissini with a sprinkle of Italian herbs before they go into the oven, but topping these breadsticks with garlic butter, cracked black pepper, or parmesan would be just as delicious.
What Are Grissini?
Grissini is Italian for breadsticks! Traditional grissini are crispy, pencil-thin sticks of dry baked bread. They originated in the Piedmont region of Italy and inspired soft-baked versions like the garlic breadsticks you’ll find in restaurants here in the US. I’ve eaten my fill of grissini on snack platters over the years, and I finally tried my hand at making them myself.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I make these breadsticks with instant yeast, so the rising time is quick. The rest of the ingredients are staples in most pantries! Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable ingredients list and recipe instructions.
- Yeast – My grissini recipe uses instant dry yeast. Make sure to check the expiration date on the yeast packet and make sure it’s as fresh as possible. Yeast that’s old or expired won’t proof correctly.
- Sugar – This can be granulated sugar or brown sugar, or honey.
- Warm Water – To combine with the sugar and yeast in order to activate it. Make sure that the water is just slightly warmer than body temperature (100-110ºF). If it’s too hot, it’ll kill the yeast, and if it’s too cold, the yeast won’t activate.
- Olive Oil – If you must substitute another oil, I recommend avocado oil.
- Bread Flour – Bread flour is high-protein and makes for a sturdier, chewier bread dough. In a pinch, you can swap it for all-purpose flour instead. The grissini won’t have quite the same “bready” texture but they’ll still taste great.
- Semolina Flour – Semolina is a type of coarse flour that’s used in pasta-making and pizza recipes. Sprinkling the outside of the breadstick dough with semolina gives it a nice, textured finish. It also helps with sticking.
- Italian Herbs – Adding herbs to the grissini dough is optional, but it’s a great way to boost the flavor. You can use an Italian seasoning blend or any dried Italian herbs, like oregano, basil, and parsley. Even a little garlic powder goes a long way for garlicky grissini breadsticks.
How to Make Grissini (Crispy Italian Breadsticks)
Grissini uses a yeasted dough, so there is some rising time involved. I love to bake a batch of pignoli cookies while I wait for the dough to rest! All in all, the recipe is super easy, even if you’re new to baking with yeast. Follow the steps below, and check out my helpful tips afterward.
- Proof the yeast. First things first, you’ll take out a large bowl. Add the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Give that a stir, then cover the bowl and let the yeast proof for 10 minutes. The mixture should look foamy.
- Make the dough. To the same bowl, add a tablespoon of olive oil along with both flours and a pinch of salt. Mix to form the dough, and then knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes (you can do this with a stand mixer if you have one).
- Rise. Bring the dough together in a smooth ball and let it rest for 20 minutes. Afterward, roll the dough out into a large rectangle and brush the top with olive oil. Cover the dough and leave it to rise for another hour.
- Add toppings. Sprinkle the dough with semolina flour and then add the herbs, if you’re using them. Meanwhile, get your oven preheating to 400ºF.
- Cut the dough. A pizza cutter makes this step super easy. Otherwise, use a sharp knife to slice the dough rectangle lengthwise into thin “sticks”, a little less than ½” wide. I usually get 18-20 breadsticks out of this recipe.
- Bake. You can bake the breadsticks as is, or, sometimes, I like to give them a little twist beforehand. Arrange the grissini on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for 18-20 minutes. Let the bread cool, then serve!
Tips and Variations
- Make sure the yeast activates. If the yeast mixture isn’t foaming after 10 minutes, it’s a sign that your yeast didn’t proof properly. This could be because the yeast you used is expired, or the water temperature was off. In this case, start again with fresh yeast.
- For soft-baked breadsticks, pull them from the oven at the 15-minute mark.
- Make them cheesy. To make cheesy baked grissini, sprinkle the breadsticks with grated parmesan or shredded cheese.
- Top with garlic butter. In place of Italian herbs, brush the tops of the grissini with garlic butter before sprinkling the dough with semolina flour.
- Olive breadsticks. Mix chopped olives into the dough (like this easy olive skillet bread).
What to Serve With Grissini
In Italy, grissini are eaten as an aperitivo, or appetizer, alongside cured meats, olives, and cheeses (similar to charcuterie). So, that’s how I usually serve my breadsticks here! I’ll add them to an snack table with chicken spiedini or fritto misto, toasty focaccia and caponata, and a tomato burrata salad. Nothing pairs better with an Italian happy hour than a Campari spritz!
Crispy grissini are also perfect for dunking into soups, like this creamy crab soup or lasagna soup, and dips, like smoked salmon dip or warm pizza dip.
How to Store
Homemade grissini store well for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. If the breadsticks get a bit stale or chewy, I’ll pop them into the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up again. Another trick is to store them in a paper bag, which helps cut the humidity to keep them crunchy.
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Proof the yeast. Add yeast, sugar, and water to a large bowl and stir well to combine. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and allow the yeast to proof for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, it should be foamy.
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Make the dough. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, bread flour, and salt to the bowl with the yeast. Stir until the dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a floured kitchen surface and knead until elastic for 10 minutes. Alternately, use a stand mixer with dough hooks attached.
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First rise. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. After the dough has risen slightly, roll it into an 8×12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with remaining olive oil and cover with plastic wrap.
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Second rise. Let your oiled dough rest for 1 hour. After one hour, sprinkle the dough with semolina and Italian seasoning, if using.
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Prep. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Cut the dough. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 18-20 stripes (or sticks), starting from the shorter side.
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Shape the breadsticks. At this point, you can bake the breadsticks without any additional shaping, or simply twist them, by holding their ends.
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Bake. Place the breadstick onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes.
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Cool and serve. Cool the breadsticks before you serve them. As they cool, the grissini will become crispier but with a soft center.
- For softer breadsticks, bake the breadsticks for 15 minutes.
- For extra flavor, sprinkle the breadsticks with parmesan cheese.
- If you do not have bread flour, use all-purpose flour. The breadsticks will not have a “bready” texture but will taste amazing.
Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
