Jeffrey Hamelman

Grissini

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Dough Yield:

    72

    grissini at 1.33 oz each

Appears in

top 1000Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes

Bread

By Jeffrey Hamelman

Published 2004

  • About

These Italian Bread Sticks are richer than the preceding Sesame Bread Sticks, due to the higher percentage of olive oil in the dough and the inclusion of butter. Adding roasted garlic or grated Parmesan cheese to the dough (as detailed below) are two ways they can be varied. Other variations for this versatile dough are the addition of ground black pepper, sesame seeds, or a mixture of sesame, poppy, and fennel seeds.

U.S. Metric Home Baker’s %
Bread Flour 3.35 lb 1.52 kg 1 lb, 1.9 oz (4⅛ cups) 100%
Water 1.74 lb .79 kg 9.3 oz (1⅛ cups) 52%
Olive Oil .4 lb .182 kg 2.1 oz (5 T) 12%
Butter .34 lb .152 kg 1.8 oz (3½ T) 10%
Salt .07 lb .03 kg .4 oz (2 tsp) 2%
Yeast .1 lb, fresh .046 kg, fresh .18 oz, instant dry (1¾ tsp) 3%
Total Yield 6 lb 2.72 kg 1 lb, 15.6 oz 179%

Method

  1. Mixing: For large-scale production of grissini (50 dozen or more), a full-sized spiral mixer can be used. For smaller quantities (3 to 24 dozen), a small spiral mixer or 20- to 30-quart planetary mixer works well. Place all the ingredients in the mixing bowl. In a planetary-style mixer, mix on first speed until the ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes. The dough should be of medium consistency. Turn the mixer to second speed and mix for another 4 or 5 minutes, to a moderate gluten development. Desired dough temperature: 76°F.
  2. Bulk Fermentation: 1 hour.
  3. Dividing and Shaping: If using a 36-part dough divider, divide the dough into 2 pieces weighing 3 pounds (1.36 kg) each. If scaling the bread sticks individually, divide the dough into 1.33-ounce portions. Let the divided pieces rest on a lightly floured work surface, covered with plastic, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Roll or stretch the pieces, trying to keep an even dimension along the length, to 14 to 16 inches long. Before transferring to baking sheets, the individual bread sticks can be rolled in a tray of fine semolina if desired; this adds a bit of texture to the taste. An alternative means of dividing the dough is to press it into a flat rectangle on a floured bench and cut it into thin strips with a pizza wheel.
  4. Baking: By the time the bread sticks have been divided, they can be baked right away with no further proofing. Bake at 380°F for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Once cool, the bread sticks can be stored in airtight containers for up to 5 days.

© 2004 All rights reserved. Published by Wiley.