Semolina And Sesame Grissini Breadsticks Recipes

SEMOLINA AND SESAME GRISSINI (BREADSTICKS)

Steps:

• Place 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl with the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Stir to dissolve and let stand to proof, 5-7 minutes. If it is not foamy by then, the yeast is dead; get new yeast and start again.
• Place semolina and all-purpose flours in work bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Add the salt, and 2 tbsp of sesame seeds. Mix briefly to combine.
• Make a well in the pile of flour and add the proofed yeast, the remaining water, and the olive oil. Start the mixer on low speed until everything comes together and starts to get smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase to medium and knead another 2-3 minutes, until it begins to look velvety and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead by hand until smooth and elastic (about 30 turns, about 1 minute). Grease a clean mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough into it, turning the dough over to coat both sides.
• Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm, dark spot until it triples in volume, about 2 1/2 hours. (Alternatively, place dough in an oiled, airtight plastic container at least twice the size of the dough mass and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before proceeding).
• Preheat oven to 400°F Coat 2 baking sheets each with 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp olive oil.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board. Cut dough in 6 equal pieces. Cover the unused pieces with a damp kitchen towel.
• Cut each piece into 4 or 5 equal pieces, each about the size of a medium walnut (3/4 to 1 ounce each). Using both hands, roll each piece against the board until it forms a 12 to 14 inch rope. Do not flour the board; the stickiness helps the dough stretch out.
• Place the rope on the baking sheet, rolling it to coat with oil. Spaced 1/2 inch apart, each sheet should hold 10 to 12 breadsticks.
• When all the breadsticks are made, coat with sesame seeds: pour the seeds into a long narrow pile, as long as the bread sticks and twice as wide. Starting with the first breadstick (which will be most relaxed and easiest to work with), roll each breadstick in the sesame seeds, coating well, then return it to the sheet pan. Sprinkle each with a bit of kosher salt and let rest 10 minutes.
• Bake 14-20 minutes. Halfway through, turn each sheet pan 180° in the oven, and swap racks, to ensure even browning. They are done when they are an even light golden brown (the ends may be a little darker). Cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

HOW TO MAKE EASY SEMOLINA BREADSTICKS

Steps:

• Lightly grease a metal 18" x 13" pan with two tablespoons of olive oil and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a bread hook, combine the two flours, yeast, salt, lukewarm water and two remaining tablespoons of olive oil. Process until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. The dough will be slightly sticky. Cover and let it rest for one hour.
• Scoop the batter into the greased pan and spread it nearly to the edges. If the dough is too sticky, oil your fingers - that will help. If the dough doesn't stretch easily, let it relax for a while before you try again.
• Using a pizza wheel, or a sharp knife, score the dough crosswise and lengthwise into strips, so as to make about 30 breadsticks (see photo below). These are rather big breadsticks; you can make them smaller, if you prefer. Once you are done with scoring, cover the pan and let the dough rise at room temperature for 45 minutes. The dough will become puffy.
• While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F. Mince the fresh herbs finely and set them aside.
• Drizzle the dough lightly with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with the fresh herbs and the seasoning and place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake until the breadsticks are lightly golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven. Let it cool slightly and then cut the dough along the score lines. Place the bread sticks back in the baking pan, this time turn them on their sides (see photo). Return the pan to the oven, and bake for 5-6 minutes for soft bread sticks, or 10 minutes (for crispier bread sticks). Serve warm, or at room temperature with your favorite dip.

GRISSINI

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, and sugar in bowl of mixer and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)
• Add semolina flour, "00" flour, and salt to yeast mixture along with oil and remaining 1 1/4 cups warm water and mix at low speed until a very soft dough forms. If necessary, mix in just enough "00" flour (up to 1/4 cup) to prevent dough from sticking to side of bowl. Increase speed to medium and beat, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Scrape dough into center of bowl and dust with 2 tablespoons additional "00" flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Punch down dough and turn out onto a floured surface (do not knead), then cut dough in half. Keeping 1 half covered with plastic wrap, cut other half into 16 equal pieces and roll each into a 15- to 16-inch rope (1/8 to 1/4 inch thick), lightly dusting your hands if dough is sticky. Arrange ropes 1/2 inch apart on 1 baking sheet, then make more ropes with remaining dough and arrange on second baking sheet.
• Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until grissini are pale golden and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes total. Transfer to racks to cool.

GRISSINI TORINESI (ITALIAN BREADSTICKS)

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast into 1/2 cup (125ml) of the water in a bowl.
• Leave for 5 minutes, then add the malt extract; stir to dissolve.
• Mix the flour and the salt in a large bowl,.
• Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast and the olive oil.
• Use a wooden spoon to draw in the flour from the sides.
• Stir in the remaining water, as needed, to form a firm, sticky dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface.
• Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Cover with a dish towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Knead the dough for 10 minutes more.
• Shape the dough into a rectangle, 12in x 8in (30cm x 20cm) and 3/4in (1. 5cm) thick.
• Cover with a dish towel; let rest for 10 minutes.
• Lightly oil two baking sheets and sprinkle them with semolina.
• Cut the dough lengthwise into four equal pieces, then cut each piece lenghwise into ten strips.
• Stretch each strip until it is 10in (25cm) long.
• Place the strips, about 1/2in (1cm) apart, on the baking sheets.
• Brush the strips with the egg glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
• Transfer the sticks onto a wire rack, then let cool.

HAND-PULLED BREADSTICKS ('GRISSINI STIRATI')

Steps:

• Sift the flour and place it in a bowl with the salt and malt syrup (if using). In another bowl, mix the yeast, water, and sugar, and leave to activate, covered, for 10 minutes or until frothy. Add it to the flour mixture (if using dry instant yeast, just mix all the ingredients together).
• If kneading by hand, slowly start kneading the mix until you bring all the ingredients together. When no more dry bits are visible, turn it out on a worktop and continue kneading for about 10 minutes, or until smooth. If using a stand mixer, knead for 5 minutes on low, then for another 5 minutes on medium. The dough should be soft and smooth. Give the dough a rectangular shape. Lightly flour a baking tray and put the dough on it. Cover with cling film and a tea towel, and let proof in a warm place (25 to 28°C) for about 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, transfer the dough to a worktop. Flatten the dough on the counter and form a long roll of about 6 to 7cm diameter. Take a long strip of cling film (twice as long as the roll) and brush half of it with olive oil. Place the roll of dough on the oiled film and brush the top and sides with oil too. Fold the rest of the cling film over the dough, and loosely make it adhere to the top and sides (the oil will make the film stick). This prevents skin from forming during the final proof. Cover with a tea towel and let it proof again in a warm place for 60 minutes.
• While the dough is proofing, heat the oven to 230°C. Prepare a plate or tray with a mixture of semolina flour and sesame seeds, and line a large oven tray with baking parchment. When the dough has risen, return it to the worktop and unwrap the cling film. Take a dough cutter or a knife and cut a few 2cm thick strips of dough from the short side of the roll, then place each of them in the semolina and sesame mixture and coat evenly. You must try to cut each strip with one single cut (this is very important for the stretching of the grissini).
• Once you've cut and coated all the strips, lift each one of them by holding the ends with your thumb, index and middle fingers. Now, let's have some fun. Pull outwards to elongate each strip, whilst moving your fingers towards the ends of the strip at the same time. The dough should stretch very easily up to a point and then will make some resistance. Don't worry, that is absolutely fine. Stop stretching at the desired length to fit your baking tray. Lay every strip on the tray that you had previously lined with backing parchment, at about 2cm apart from each other.
• When you have no more space, bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden, making sure you keep the oven door ajar to let any steam out (use a wooden spoon or a small ball of foil to keep it slightly open). Once the breadsticks have turned golden, flip them over and bake for a further 3 to 5 minutes to colour and crisp up even more. Let them cool on a wire rack and enjoy with Parma ham, mortadella or other salumi, cheese, olives, and nibbles.