Grissini (breadsticks)

Carol Field's Grissini Torinesi

Makes about 32 sticks

Adapted from "The Italian Baker" by Carol Field (Morrow Cookbooks, 1985). Malt syrup is available at some natural food stores such as the Food Mill in Oakland.


INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon malt syrup
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil + more for brushing the dough
3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt + more for sprinkling
1/2 cup semolina flour for sprinkling


INSTRUCTIONS:
Instructions: Stir yeast and malt into warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons oil with paddle attachment. Add flour and salt and mix until dough comes together. Change to dough hook and knead at low speed about 3 minutes. Finish kneading briefly by hand on a lightly floured surface. Alternatively, you can mix dough by hand and knead by hand until dough is smooth, soft, velvety and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.

Pat the dough with your hands into a 14- x 4-inch rectangle on a well-floured surface. Lightly brush top with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Sprinkle dough with semolina flour before cutting and stretching. Cut dough crosswise into 4 equal sections, then cut each section into 8 strips about the width of a finger. The dough is so elastic that you can simply pick up each piece and stretch it between your hands to fit the length of a baking sheet. Place the breadsticks on lightly oiled baking sheets.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Just before baking, spray the breadsticks lightly with water and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake the breadsticks until light brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Per breadstick: 65 calories, 2 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat (0 saturated), 0 cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 0 fiber.


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Emporio Rulli's Grissini Torinesi (Turin-Style Breadsticks)

Makes about 5 dozen


INGREDIENTS:
The dough

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 100°)
3 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached bread flour
2/3 cup semolina flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt

For shaping

1/2 cup unbleached bread flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water


INSTRUCTIONS:
For the dough: In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water and let stand 2 minutes to soften. Whisk with a fork to dissolve the yeast, and let stand 5 minutes to activate.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast-water mix, bread flour, semolina flour, butter, olive oil, salt and remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Mix with a dough hook on medium speed for about 10 minutes; the dough will clear the sides of the bowl. Alternatively, mix the dough by hand with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand for 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the dough with the oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

For shaping: Combine the bread flour, semolina flour and salt in a small bowl and stir to blend. In another small bowl, combine the olive oil and water.

Lightly oil four heavy-rimmed baking sheets (or bake in batches).

Sprinkle the work surface thickly with the flour mixture. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and flatten it with a rolling pin into an 18- x 6-inch rectangle. If the dough feels too soft and slack to shape the breadsticks, transfer the dough to a floured sheet pan and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm it. Return it to the floured work surface before continuing.

Brush the surface of the rectangle with the oil-water mixture, then sprinkle generously with some of the flour mixture. With a chef's knife, cut the dough into 6-inch by 1/4-inch strips, cutting just a few at a time. With your hands, pick each strip up by the ends. The dough is so supple that it will elongate as you lift it. Allow each strip to become only as long as the baking sheet, then arrange them side by side on the baking sheet, close but not touching. Let rise about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake the breadsticks until caramel-brown all the way through (test by breaking one open), about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Per breadstick: 50 calories, 1 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat (0 saturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 125 mg sodium, 0 fiber.