🇮🇹 Italian · Bread
🥖 Grissini
Grissini Torinesi
Grissini are the thin, crisp, hand-rolled breadsticks of Turin — light, snappable, and endlessly snackable, traditionally wrapped in a slice of prosciutto or served alongside antipasti.
Created in the late 17th century for a sickly young Duke of Savoy who couldn't tolerate soft bread, grissini quickly became a staple of Piedmontese tables and eventually spread across Italy and the world as the breadstick found in restaurant bread baskets everywhere.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mixing bowl, Rolling pin, Baking sheets, Pizza cutter or knife
- 300 g (2½ cups) bread flour
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) warm water
- 5 g (1½ tsp) active dry yeast
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 6 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
- 1 tsp malt syrup or honey (optional, for a slight sweetness)
- Coarse salt or sesame seeds, for topping (optional)
Method
- Dissolve the yeast in warm water with the malt syrup or honey and let stand 5 minutes until foamy.
- Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil, and mix into a dough.
- Knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and let rise for 1–1½ hours until doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Punch down the dough and roll into a rectangle about 1cm thick. Cut into thin strips with a pizza cutter.
- Roll each strip between your palms to elongate and thin it out to about the width of a pencil, stretching to the length of the baking sheet.
- Place on the prepared sheets, brush lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt or sesame if using.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and crisp all the way through, rotating the sheets halfway.
- Cool completely on a rack — they crisp further as they cool.
Chef Tips
- Roll the dough as thin and even as possible — inconsistent thickness means uneven baking.
- If a grissino doesn't feel fully crisp when cooled, return it to a low oven for a few extra minutes to dry out completely.
- Stretch gently rather than pulling hard, or the dough will tear.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rolling them too thick — grissini should be thin enough to snap cleanly, not bend.
- Under-baking, leaving a soft or chewy center instead of an all-the-way-through crunch.
- Crowding the baking sheet, which prevents even browning.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Lower in fat than many snack breads since they contain no added dairy.
- Portion-controlled by nature — easy to enjoy in moderation.
Cultural Note
Grissini are so associated with Turin that Napoleon reportedly called them 'les petits bâtons de Turin' (the little sticks of Turin) and had them shipped to him regularly in France.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks — they're designed to keep well.
Reheating: Not typically needed; if they soften, re-crisp in a low oven for 5 minutes.
Serve with: Prosciutto-wrapped as an antipasto, Bagna cauda, Cheese boards, Aperitivo spreads